


Storybook Valley

by SKAllen



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-01
Updated: 2016-02-01
Packaged: 2018-05-17 13:57:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 17
Words: 25,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5873014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SKAllen/pseuds/SKAllen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Storybook Valley, California A hidden gem  nestled between the beach communities of Los Angeles and Orange counties. a small town surrounded by the big city. Not many tourist stumble upon it giving the wealthiest people there a modicum of privacy. But when washed out starlet Emma Swan is brought into town by the son of the wealthiest family, the little town's quiet existence could change.  What ensues is the road to Swan Queen, Reforming Regina’s Empty love life, and filling Emma’s empty life and giving her family.  From Tentative Friends to passionate lovers. genre Angst/Romance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Washed Out

A splash of cold water awakened her.  Emma sat up in bed.  the sheets clinging to her naked form just barely.  “What the fuck Cora?”  she screamed sitting up in bed in her shock.

 

“Wake up you washed out little whore.”  The older woman said tossing the bucket in which she had carried the ice cold water in.  “Go wash that little tart out of your system and pray she doesn’t break the agreement I made her sign to keep her pretty little mouth shut.”

 

Emma rolled her eyes as she got out of the bed.  Her mind was still sluggish from her night of partying. “I don’t care Cora.  No one cares who I fuck.”

 

“You should care.”  Cora said haughtily.  “Your career is over, no one wants to cast you in anything not even a guest role.  Congratulations on perpetuating the child star curse.”

 

“If you had been doing your job, Cora, I’d still be in demand.” She got out of the bed and signaled her body.   “Look at me, I’m hot!”

 

“You are nothing but a strung out starlett.” Cora said.  “I could find a trained monkey to do the job better than you. Hmph all that you are suited for now is porn.”

 

“How about this Cora, You don’t have to worry about me anymore.  Go find your trained monkey.  You’re Fired… FIRED.  leave.  get out of my  house.”  Emma shouted.

 

“You can’t fire me, I’m your mother!”  Cora raged.  “I raised you when no one else wanted you.  I made you.”

 

“Shut up Cora.”  Emma said sitting back down on the bed.  She put her head in her hands she was tired of everything.

 

“Oh… Little orphan girl doesn’t like to hear that does she?”  Cora said.  “That she was put outside like a discarded piece of trash.”

 

“Leave my house Cora!”  Emma cried out.

 

The older woman came closer to the blonde and pulled her closer by her ear.  “You will sober up, and you will straighten out. You owe me little girl.”

 

“I was better off dead by that dumpster you found me in.  You didn’t make me, I made you.”  Emma spat out.  She should have expected the blow that went across her face.  It hadn't been the first time Cora had struck her.  It had just been a long time.  

 

In her drink fogged haze, Emma took blow after blow from her attacker. Cora was threatening her and trying to force her to respond.  and just when she did, the blows would come again. then the older woman’s hands were at her throat.  “You think you’re better off dead? Maybe you are right… It was a stroke of luck finding you twenty six years ago… but don’t get it all twisted up in your little mind dear… I. Made. You.”

 

_ Storybook Valley was an idyllic little town just outside of Los Angeles. Cora had set her sights on being big in Hollywood, and her ungrateful daughter had sent her to jail.  No matter though, she was going to find her way up eventually even if she had to take her daughter and her family down to do it. _

 

_ Cora had no place to go, however, having lost her home and all of her belongings while having been locked up, even if she had gotten out early on good behavior alone.  Just after midnight, Cora had strolled past the park in search of some shelter, maybe at the fire station, where she could entertain a firefighter or two just to get a nice place to lay her head at night.  As she approached, a pair of teenagers walk toward the station they set down a bundle carefully at their feet.  The foolish girl set a letter down on top of the bundle, and Cora knew instantly what it was. _

 

_ “What are you doing?”  Cora said stepping into the light.  The teens ran in the other direction, forgetting their bundle in their wake.  Or were they leaving it behind on purpose?  Cora came closer and picked  the blanket wrapped thing.  The baby mewled and Cora gasped at the beauty of the little thing.  it was her second chance to get what she couldn’t get Regina to do.  Cora smiled and read the letter.  “Your best chance huh?  Well, let’s do it shall we, Emma?” Cora laughed and tossed the  letter into the trash. _

 

_ Cora continued on to the fire house and knocked on the door. “Yes?”  a gruff short man asked  at the door. _

 

_ Cora looked down on him with disdain.  She had thought Firemen were supposed to be handsome.  not… that. “I… we need a place to stay the night.  I’m begging you please my baby and I have nowhere to go.” _

 

_ “Leroy, let her in, come on… we can’t leave them out there like that.”  another man with a more generous stature said. _

 

_ “But chief, we ain’t no homeless shelter.”  Leroy said. _

 

_ The chief turned to the little man and glared.  “And she can deal with that in the morning, but for right now… we have a bed.  Come in Ma’am” _

 

_ It didn’t take long for Cora to make Emma rise like cream.  she had no reservations about exploiting the child she had found and entered the pretty little girl with several agencies.  starting her out as a child model, giving her the name Emma Swan because she was the most beautiful among all the babies. _

  
  


Emma, was on the brink of death, and was getting to that point where all of your energy all of your power kicked in for survival.  That one moment of clarity till just before the end, Emma drew up her legs and kicked out sending Cora  across the room.  Before everything went dark she willed herself to reach for her bedside lamp, hitting the panic button by her bed on pure instinct, then slamming the lamp on to Cora’s head rendering her unconscious.

 

Then she dropped onto the floor unconscious as well.

 

* * *

 

A few months later, Emma rushed out of the courtroom having won her case against Cora.  Cora was to  remain in Jail for twenty years for attempted murder and violation of the terms of her previous arrest.

 

She was approached by many reporters as she walked through.  Her lawyer shielding her from the on slaught.  Questions like  “Emma, why were you found Naked?  were you high?”; “Emma do you think this will give you a comeback to the screen?”  and “Will you be leaving Hollywood?” assaulted her.

 

Emma didn’t know how to answer anything.  Cora had fed her most of her PR.  She had been the only mother she had known, and truthfully a driving force in her career.  A career that she had begun to love before… everything inside her died.”

 

The starlet didn’t know what she wanted to do with herself anymore.  it had been years since she'd had to think for herself and right now all she wanted to do was get a drink.


	2. Reaching Out

Regina sat in her study at her Malibu style Ranch in Storybook Valley, as she watched the Verdict of Cora Mills, AKA Cora Swan come over the airwaves. “That old bitch.”  Regina said watching the highlights of the happenings of the past twenty six years since Cora had been out of jail for what she had done to Regina.

 

She learned about Emma 25 year old actress she had seen  many times before.  “She was Cora’s little meal ticket?” Regina sighed.  “I remember when I was that for her….”

 

_ “Regina straighten out, you do whatever Leo wants you to do you hear me?”  Cora said. _

 

_ Seventeen year old Regina grimaced eyeing the door to Leopold Blanchard’s office. “what if he’s one of those freaky old guys that want to sleep with girls and make them believe they can be stars?” _

 

_ “Then you sleep.  With.  Him.”  Cora enunciated. _

 

_ “No, mother… I can’t Please?”  Regina said _

 

_ “Remember you are eighteen years old.  Charm the pants off him girl”  Cora said pushing her toward the door.  Regina was called into the office and she stepped in  there was an old guy.  like really old in his sixties.  he didn’t even look handsome like Sean connery or anything. _

 

_ He looked at this young girl and was taken by her beauty.  “Aren’t you a little young?”  he asked. _

 

_ “Um… I’m an adult!”  Regina said unsure. “Eighteen...yup.” _

 

_ He looked her over and nodded.  “You will do. We get married at the end of the month.  I gotta keep these lawyers off my back.”  He handed her a stack of papers.  “Plus you’re not bad to look at.” _

 

_ “Wait… what was?” _

 

_ “Darling it’s all in there, in a couple of years you walk away with a nice settlement and the rest of your life to find someone who deserves you.”  he dismissed her.  Regina walked out of the room looking at the stack.   _

 

_ “Mother… this is…” _

 

_ “Oh!  he chose you.”  Cora said excited. _

 

_ “What is this?”  Regina asked  _

 

_ “You’re getting married!”  Cora said with a bounce in her step.  “Come along dear, we have to look over the prenup.” _

 

_ Cora accepted the prenup for Regina and on her wedding day the girl paced the room in her gorgeous Vera Wang dress.  “I can’t do this mother!” _

 

_ “Listen to me you ungrateful brat, you are still a minor and you will do as I say.”  Cora spat in her face.  “You are my meal ticket and this train is headed straight for the stars you hear me?”  Regina felt her eyes sting with unshed as she listened to her mother’s hateful words. “Don’t you dare disturb that makeup with your tears. you must look perfect.” _

 

_ Regina held her tears til that night in her room. she cried long and hard as she waited for her new husband to come to her.  He didn’t come.  He never did. Regina was relieved at first, but one night he took her and his daughter out for dinner and she asked him why. _

 

_ “Regina, You don’t have to be with me if you don’t want to be.  I’m not some monster.  I’d like to win you over if you will let me.”  He said softly _

 

_ He took her hand and stroked it.  They began to talk and get a long a little.  she still didn’t find him handsome, but they talked. Cora was always there though.  Pushing for Regina to be more of a wife.  On Regina’s Eighteenth Birthday, Cora gave Regina some Vicodin, and sent suggestions to her to seduce her husband.  “he isn’t letting you be on anything because you won’t give him what he needs.  He is a man Regina…” _

 

_ “No… He doesn’t mind… He won’t be with me if I don’t want to.”  Regina said in her Groggy state. _

 

_ Cora slapped her and said.  “Why don’t you act like a wife and service your husband.”  She took Regina’s arm and wrenched it back and marched her to Leopold’s room.  That night Leopold did indeed have a wife, but he also noticed some markings on Regina’s body.   _

 

_ “Where did you get these?”  He asked her once he was done.  Regina looked off into space unwilling to answer.  “Where Regina?” _

 

_ “Mother…”  She answered simply and he took her hands in his. He kissed them and turned her face to him. _

 

_ “Has she always treated you like this?”  Regina looked away, and lifted her from the bed.  Dressed her and took her to the authorities.  Here is where he found out that Regina had just turned eighteen that day.  Leopold pressed charges.  Cora was found guilty of sex trafficking and was sent to jail. _

 

Truth was Regina had been one of the lucky ones. Leopold was a great man.  He had put her through school and taught her the business until… well.  Regina sighed and reached for her phone. “Hey Kath, listen.  Get me Emma Swan’s contact information.”

 

“That washed out teen star?  Whatever for?”  Kath stated

 

“Kathryn… It really doesn’t matter why.  Just get it.”  Regina snapped and hung up her phone.

 

At the table, her son Henry was watching her with interest over his laptop.  He reached for her open purse on the counter and slipped her wallet out.  He pulled out her black card as he surreptitiously watched to make sure she wasn’t going to catch him using it.  Something about Emma Swan always held his mom’s attention.

 

He replaced the wallet, and  looked at the numbers of the credit card.  He typed in the number and slipped the card in his back pocket.  For a nine year old, Henry was incredibly smart.  He was in the eighth grade having skipped two years of school.

 

Henry’s acceleration prompted him to learn so much about  computer systems he is a first rate hacker.  Right now his mission was to find his real mom.  He had been searching through his records and found that his adoption had been closed.  Thoroughly.

 

But it made him curious as to why his birth mom had closed his records.  His mom... mom never hid the fact that she had adopted him, and she could have totally made him pass off as her own he looked so much like her.  So he knew that his mom was not the one that had blocked the information.  In fact she had been trying to solicit DNA information on him.

 

Well he was going to succeed.  He went on the underground sites and was about to buy a program that would decipher and match DNA with anyone over every database.  Just as he was to hit send, his mom came to him and he closed the window.  “What are you doing Henry?”  Regina asked ruffling his hair.

 

“Nothing, just some research.”  Henry said.  “It’s on DNA and how it works."  He paused biting his lower lip. "Mom?  can I ask you a question?”

 

“Yes Henry?”  Regina asked turning back to the Television.

 

He took this opportunity that she was distracted to finish his transaction.  “What do you know about my birth mom?”

 

“Um… She was sixteen… and, she was an orphan.”  Was all she said.  “She had mentioned something about making sure you had family.  that was what they told me, that’s why I make sure you are around as many people I consider family. Like Mary Margaret.”

 

Henry smiled, “She is too old to be my sister…”  Henry said. 

 

“She is not.”  Regina said.  He laughed.  

 

“Mom, You know I love you right?”  He asked.

 

“Yes I know Henry.” Regina said as her phone rang back.  It was a Text message with Emma’s information.  “Do you need any help with this My Prince?”  Regina asked.

 

“No, I’m ok.”  Henry said.  Regina smiled and punched to dial back the number she had received.  Henry watched after her and slipped the Black card back in her wallet.

 

“Emma Swan?  Regina Mills- Blanchard…”

* * *

 

Emma sat in the back of a Limo heading back home from the courthouse when she received this phone call.  She leaned back and kicked off her prada heels and let the D&G sunglasses fall over her eyes.  “What do you want?”

 

“I want to give you an opportunity to bring you back to your hey day.”

 

“What makes you think I want anything to do with a hey day or any other day.”  Emma said reaching for the bottle of vodka in the minibar.  “I don’t need your help.”

 

“Oh no?  You were found naked and unconscious after being strangled by my mother in your bedroom.”

 

“That bitch is your mother?”  Emma asked.

 

“Last time I saw her my husband put her in Jail.  I’m glad you put her back where she belongs.”  Regina stated.

 

“Well, I don't need another person like that handling me.”  Emma stated.

 

“I’m nothing like my mother.”  Regina stated.

 

“Yeah… that’s what they all say.”  Emma slurred.  “Not interested.”

 

Emma hung up the phone and downed the rest of the vodka.  by the time she arrived at her home.  she was close to passing out.


	3. Searching Out

Days Later, Henry arrived home to see a package on the doorstep.  He smiled, knowing it was what he had ordered and was glad to intercept it before his mother had seen it.  He rushed into the large stucco mansion and hustled the package into the room.  He tossed his backpack on his bed and made to turn his desktop on.

 

“Henry?”  He heard from the foyer.  His sister Mary-Margaret always checked in on him after school.  She worked at the elementary school he used to go to.  

 

Henry peeked out of his room.  He loved his sister.  She was always so loving to him and his mom.  Well she was not really his sister because his mom never adopted her.  But His mom loved Mary Margaret a lot.  “In my room Mary.”

 

He heard her footsteps on the tile floor and he remembered the kit and lunged out.  He hugged her hello, and his watch got caught in her hair. “Oh… God… I need a haircut.”  Mary said running her fingers through her short pixie cut and liberating the hair at the nape of her neck from him.

 

“I have never seen your hair long.  I think you should grow it out."

 

She smiled and patted her belly.  “oh, I don’t think so Henry.  It is much too hot right now for all of that hair.”

 

Henry shrugged.  “Johanna  should be here soon mom texted me when I got out of school said she was in a meeting and wouldn’t be home until eight.”

 

“Okay, Are you hungry?”  Mary said heading to the kitchen to make Henry a snack.

 

“I’m a growing boy Mary, what do you think?”  Mary Margaret laughed and began to make the boy a sandwich.

 

Henry looked down at his watch and took the hair he found there from it.  He went into his room and placed it carefully in a torn piece of paper and set it aside.  He ripped open the box with the kit on it and he took out some baggies.  He dumped the hair in there figuring that he would test things out with a control of people that had absolutely no blood relation to him.  Then he went to his mother’s room and took a hair from her almost immaculate hair brush and placed that in a baggie.  He labeled both baggies with the appropriate names.

 

He then pulled out a cotton swab  and rubbed the inside of his cheek, then placed that in a little vial.  He was excited to see how his sister, his mom and his DNA’s compared.

 

* * *

 

Regina reached out and knocked at the door in front of her.  A woman in her mid twenties answered and smile flushed at the unexpected visit from the beautiful enigmatic woman.  Yes, Regina mills had made her a star, and she supposed her having slept with her on various occasions might have been the reason.  But she was already a star, she didn’t have to keep sleeping with her.  She wasn’t even gay.  But that tongue.

 

“I hope you have no plans this afternoon.”  Regina said pushing through the door.

 

“Actually, my boyfriend and I were going to--” The woman started  but was abruptly cut off by  Regina’s mouth on hers.

 

“Cancel.  Push it back, I don’t give a fuck what you do, you are mine this afternoon.”  Regina stated beginning to undress the pretty young woman.

 

“Oh my god…”  The starlet whispered, and allowed Regina to take her to bed.

 

Regina had known this girl since she was 16.  No it wasn’t because she had bedded her that she had taken her on as a client.  it was because she definitely had talent.  and it didn’t hurt that her mother would do just about anything to get her daughter showcased.  Regina smirked remembering How much more loving Lily’s mother was compared to hers.  Just how much further Mal was bound to go.

 

“You’re such a good girl.”  Regina purred in Lily’s ear.  The younger woman groaned in pleasure.

 

This is how Regina filled her cravings.  She had no love except for Henry and she told herself that was enough.  but her libido was insatiable, and in order to asswage her raging need.  She satisfied it with meaningless tangles between the sheets.

 

The only time Regina ever felt love had been when she was only a child…

 

_ Regina stepped out of the Dance studio downtown.  A boy maybe sixteen stood beside the door.  Regina smiled and threw her arms around the boy.  “Daniel!”  She looked around hoping her mother was not close by.  Regina was convinced she had eyes everywhere. “Let's go, before the instructor spots me.  We  have two hours before mother comes for me.” _

 

_ The boy took her hand and pulled her along to his car.  When she had first met the boy he had been in it.  She thought it was so stereotypical  for a mexican boy in a low rider.  But now… she was grateful for the back seat where she could escape for one hour or two each summer night that she was supposed to take advanced ballet. _

 

_ They sat in the back seat of the car attached at the lips. Daniel’s hands roaming her body.  Daniel hated that the leotards made for hard access.  She had never given in to him, but he was sure he would wear her down if he found a way to get her half undressed.  He took her Jacket off then guided the shoulders of the leotard down.  this was usually when she pushed him away. _

 

_ Not this time.  Regina was ready.  She didn’t want to wait anymore, she was sure she loved him.  She let him have her that afternoon. It was the most beautiful experience she’d had since. When they were done they stepped out and he sat her down atop of his hood. Daniel kissed her and held her close.  “Te quiero mucho Gina.”  He whispered to her. _

 

_ “I love you too.” she answered.  Her hair, having come loose from the tight bun blew in the wind covering both of their faces as they kissed. _

 

_ “Hey Tito!”  one of his friends, a squat mexican wearing a green bandana, came up to him.  Daniel smiled and greeted his friend. _

 

_ Regina looked the boy over and knew he was definitely in a gang.  This had been the first time she had met any of Daniel’s friends and a little thrill went through her when she found he was a bad boy.  Two more of his friends arrived. greeting him with all kinds of versions of his name.  Dani, Tito, Danielito.  Regina smirked and stroked at his cheek as they joked around together but Daniel just held her there.  his arms lovingly around her possessive of her.  protective of her. _

 

_ “Oh Shit!”  One of the guys said.  they all turned to look at what it was that had alarmed him. the rest of the guys took off running.  Daniel pulled Regina from the hood of his car and threw her down onto the ground. _

 

_ Regina screamed in terror as she lay beneath him.  When the shots died down, she was glad to be whole.  She hadn’t been shot.  Daniel had saved her.  He groaned and rolled off of her.  Regina sat up and saw she was covered in blood.   _

 

_ She was confused, she hadn’t been hurt. She looked at Daniel and screamed.  Daniel’s friends pulled her away.  “Come on!  We gotta go.  Unless you want your mom to know.”  He pulled her away and drove her home.  “Remember you didn’t see nothing.  Stop crying like a little bitch.” _

 

_ Regina glared at him and stepped out of his car.  She walked into her home, half an hour before her mother was due to pick her up at the dance studio.  She headed into the bathroom and peeled the bloody clothing off her body, and washed Daniel’s blood away. _

 

Regina frowned at the unbidden memory and pushed the fabricated affection Lily was offering away.  She was starting to understand this was not what she needed.  “Thanks.”  Regina said sliding out of Lily’s bed.

 

“Aw Regina you made me cancel my plans… stay.”  Lily whined.

 

Regina looked at her watch  and quirked an eyebrow.  “Yeah well, that sucks for you.  I am not here for your entertainment.  I have a child to attend to.”

 

Lily sighed as she watched the older woman walk out of the room.


	4. Waiting It Out

The sequencer beeped at his computer and her ran over to pull a comparative analysis between his DNA and that of His mom’s.  he wasn’t surprised that there was no similarities there.  He was adopted.

 

When he turned to Mary’s scans, he was shocked. She and he shared a few genetic markers.  More than a few in fact. “That’s so weird.”  He said and ran the sequence again.  He got the same results twice.  Now he was sure.  “Does this mean Mary and I are related for real?”

 

“Mary wouldn’t hide a baby would she?”  He thought out loud.

 

He turned to his computer and turned to his hack mode.  He knew that he was about to break more than a few laws, but he just needed to know the truth.  He tapped into the general DNA databases and began to run the same analysis.

 

He timed the searches so that he would never be in one database for longer than sixty seconds at a time, making the process tedious.  “Hey, what are you up to?”  Mary said walking into the room and sitting on his bed.  He pulled up a math learning page to cover the sequencing he was doing.

 

“Just some math… Mary can I ask you a question?”

 

“Sure Henry!”  She said with a smile.

 

“Is this only the second time you’ve had a baby or the third time?”  He asked.

 

“ah…”  Mary stammered. “H-Henry why are you asking me this?”

 

“It’s just that.. you and me look alike… a little, and… if we’re not related by blood…”  He started.

 

  
“Henry, the only child I have is Neal… okay?”  Mary said.  “Listen Johanna has got dinner ready.  Let’s go eat.  Neal is downstairs with David.”

 

“I’ll be down in a minute.”  He said and she walked out of the room.  He knew  Mary was lying.  that hesitation alone was incriminating.  A beep at the computer made him look  There was a match in the federal military Data files.  David Nolan, Mary’s Husband matched with his DNA at 75%. “She’s lying…”

 

He was related to both Mary, and David. “But they aren’t my mom and dad… The match is not close enough.”  He sighed and tried to find more specific matches, then he looked through arrest records.  His mom had always told him he had been born in California, so that is where his search began.

 

* * *

 

“David…”  Mary said as she came down the stairs to her husband.  “ You won't believe what my brother just asked me.”  

 

Alerted to her hushed tone,  he looked at her.  “What’s up?”

 

“He asked about Emma…”

 

“What?  How?”

 

“I don’t know David, it's just… it wasn’t exactly her… he just asked if I've been pregnant more than twice.”

 

“Good evening.”  Regina said walking into the dining room and smiling at her stepdaughter.

 

“Hey, Regina.”  Mary said keeping the rest of her dialogue to herself.

 

“Where’s Henry?”  

 

“Upstairs doing math, he said.”  She answered.  “He should be on his way.”

 

“Hi Mom,” Came from the stairs and the three of them turned to look at the boy.

 

“Henry!”  Regina said and embraced him as he approached them.  Mary Margaret saw the woman who cared for her after her father had died. And had felt terrible about having kept her baby secret from her.

_ Since meeting her father’s new wife 28 years before, they had been close.  All she knew was that Regina had come because Daddy was lonely, and She needed someone home with her.  She confided in Regina, and the woman cared for her as a sister. _

 

_ A year later, she stopped confiding in her.  Regina had started losing herself to vicodin, which left Mary lonelier than before.  She didn’t know what it was that she felt for her anymore, because the more numb Regina became, the more lost Mary became. _

 

_ One morning, when she got to school, there was this boy.  He’d walked into the school and she was stunned by how handsome he was.  She wasn’t exactly ugly, but she was mousy and reserved.  There was no way he would notice her.  She sighed as he passed by her resigning to never catch his eye anyway. _

 

_ Boy was she ever wrong.  David, that was his name,  he found her at the Cafeteria later that day and sat right in front of her.  Mary looked up at him and blinked, then her friends Ashley and Ruby shut up from whatever it was they were about to say.  “Do you want to go out with me?”  David asked bluntly. _

 

_ Mary blushed and looked at Ruby who had developed well for a thirteen year old.  “Don’t look at me, he asked you.” _

 

_ Mary looked at Ashley who shrugged, and then she looked back at the boy with the sea green eyes. “Okay.”  she breathed out. _

 

_ He smiled and nodded.  “Cool, wanna hang out after school?” _

 

_ “Yeah,”  was all that she could say.  And their love affair began as it burned hot from the very beginning.  They were dating for a month before Mary and David gave in to their Teenaged hormones and were carried away. _

 

_ She came home one afternoon, to find Regina completely sober.  Her father had been away for a week, and Regina was fully present.  She looked at Mary as she walked into the house and smiled at her.  “Hey!  Where have you been?” _

 

_ “Um… out.”  Mary said noting that it was five, two hours after she was supposed to be home. _

 

_ “Okay, so who was that boy I saw you holding hands with at Granny’s”  Regina asked her thirteen year old stepdaughter. _

 

_ Mary blushed furiously.  she had forgotten to tell Regina about him.  “It’s no one, just David from school.” _

 

_ “He your boyfriend?”  Regina asked. _

 

_ “Um… what’s with you and all the questions?” _

 

_ “What?  I’m taking an interest Mary.” Regina said with a shrug and sat back in her chair. _

 

_ “Why don’t you go back to your little pills and stay the hell out of my life?”  Mary shouted at her and turned to go up the steps. _

 

_ “Mary?”  Regina asked, as Mary ran away to her room and locked the door behind her. she pulled the pregnancy test out of her bag.  she had been staring at it ever since the result was in. She was pregnant.   She was thirteen… almost fourteen and she was going to have a baby. _

 

_ “No one can ever know… No one.”  She said and threw the test in the trash. _

 

It was almost Emma’s birthday now, and her mind couldn’t help but flashback to that question in her mind.  Mary waited to see if Henry would bring up the pregnancy again at dinner.  But he didn’t.  He’d only stared at her and David surreptitiously as if he knew something. 

 

Of course he did...


	5. Figuring it All Out

_ “Hey Babe, “  Neal said to Emma as she got to his place.  He was eighteen and getting his own place.  The gang from the show were all there celebrating the final episode.  They were all scrambling for new work.  All of them Except Emma.  She just didn’t want to work anymore.  she had been working since birth it felt like and she just wanted to disappear. _

 

_ “Hey, “ She said coming into his house.  she mingled a little while.  One of the older kids came in with alchohol and everyone drank their fill.  Emma hadn’t been eating well.  Cora wanted her to do the Cover of Teen People and had her on a strict diet.  So the alcohol got to her a lot faster than before. _

 

_ Soon Emma and Neal were dancing, and making out.  He led her to his room, and they had sex.  not for the first time… no… but… but… _

 

_ The next morning, Emma woke up wrapped in his arms.  Fully naked and aware of what they had done.  “Neal…”  Emma said nudging her boyfriend awake. _

 

_ “MMM five more minutes…” He mumbled in his sleep. _

 

_ “Babe did we use a condom?”  Emma asked beginning to look around the room frantically for tell tale signs of their activity the night before.  Finding none, except the feeling  of being thoroughly fucked and sweaty and naked. _

 

_ “What?” Neal said half asleep. _

 

_ She turned and slapped him hard across the face.  “Wake the fuck up Neal!  I don’t see a condom anywhere.  Did you get out of bed last night?” _

 

_ This woke the boy up all the way.  She crawled out of the covers and needed no proof of the prophylactic as she felt the slow slimy ooze down her leg. “Oh… Emma.”  Neal said seeing exactly what she had felt confirming her fears. _

 

_ “Fuck.”  Was all she said. _

 

_ “It doesn’t mean anything… maybe nothing will happen.  I mean, we don’t have any diseases so…” _

 

_ “What the hell?  You're not the one in danger of passing a whole human from your penis.” _

 

_ “You can just have an abortion, can’t you?”  He said callously. _

 

_ Emma looked at him.  “If my mother had thought that way I wouldn’t be here.” _

 

_ “But... You don’t even know it actually happened.” _

 

_ “But what if it did?” _

 

_ “Your career Emma…” _

 

_ “Cora is going to kill me.”  Emma said making her way to the shower.  “I need to get clean.” _

 

* * *

 

When Henry got back into his room.  His computer had popped up a police record that had a 99 percentage match with his DNA.  His heart sped and he gulped before opening the file that could hold the identity of his mother or father.  The first thing he saw was the mugshot.  It was a face he recognized well from television.  His mom didn’t let him watch much TV but when she did they were all kids shows  That was Emma Swan.

 

His mother was Emma Swan.

 

He turned to his browser and did a where are they now search on Emma Swan.  She was still one of the more famous cast members from the Kid show.  She has been in over 50 movies since, mainly in a supporting role.  She disappeared into obscurity about ten years before, and re emerged two years later and has been working ever since.

 

She has also had 5 DUI arrests in Ten years.  She has recently been in the news having been attacked by a disgruntled manager… “Maybe Mom will manage her now.”  He mumbled to himself.

 

Henry was lost in the information about his mother.  He printed off the information he needed and made to cover his tracks.  He was not planning on Hacking into police records ever again.  There was a knock on the door as he was shutting everything down.  He jumped and moved to hide his evidence.  “Um… Come in mom.”

 

“Henry, you should be in bed.”  Regina said looking around the room.

 

“Yeah, just shutting everything down mom.”  He said with a nervous smile.

 

She glanced at his computer, and saw the Wiki on Emma Swan had been pulled up.  She tilted her head.  “What are you looking at?”

 

“Oh… Emma Swan, I was just kind of interested in where she was now.  since I don’t watch much TV and I really liked that show. I was wondering if she had done something else.”

 

“Oh… I don’t think She’s done anything worth her talent in a long time.”

 

“Maybe her management failed her.”  Henry said with a smile.

 

“Her management was not the best…”  Regina agreed.  “But it made her a star.”

 

“You could bring her back couldn’t you?”  Henry asked hopefully.

 

“I have to admit, I’ve offered.  She has to want it, Henry.”  Regina said with a far away look, then she sighed.  “Time for bed Henry.”

 

“Okay,” Henry said with a sigh of his own.  Regina kissed his forehead.  “Goodnight Mom.”

 

“Goodnight Henry.”  Regina said and walked out shutting the door behind her.

 

* * *

 

“Happy birthday to you!”  Emma hears before opening her eyes.  Then someone lands heavily on her body.  “Happy Birthday To you!”  it was Lily’s melodic voice.   _ Yes you can sing, but bitch if you don’t get off me right now _ .  Emma thought.  “Happy biiiiirth-day dear Emma.”   Lily continued to sing. “Haaaa-ppy birthday to you!”

 

Emma hated birthdays.  She had drunk her entire liquor cabinet the night before so that she could be oblivious on this day.  But now all she wanted to do was empty the contents of her stomach onto her sheets.  “Get off me.”  Emma growled.

 

“Aww sweetie…”  Lily said crawling under the covers with Emma and wrapping her arms around her best friend.  Lily knew this day was not her favorite, right along with her kid’s birthday.  But she was turning 26.  She was still young and carefree, and she was not about to let Emma spend another birthday alone wallowing. “Get up, let's go.”

 

“Lily…”  Emma growled.  “Why would I want to celebrate the day my parents dumped me at a freaking fire station putting me in that evil bitches clutches.”

 

“Because you survived her Emma.”  Lily said.  “You know my manager would be awesome…”

 

“You mean the bitch that makes you drop trow every time you see her?”  Emma said.  “No Thanks.”

 

Lily Smirked, “She doesn’t make me DO anything I DON’T want to do.” 

 

“You’re about to fucking marry Neal and you’re fucking her every chance you get.”  Emma said with a frown.

 

“Listen, he and I have an understanding.  I mean If you wanted to fuck him again you could be my guest.”

 

“If you don’t go away right now I might throw up on you.”  Emma answered.  Lily laughed at this and held her friend close.

 

“At least you did right by your kid Em.”  Lily whispered.  You did so much better.

 

_ Emma took a deep breath.  The pain in her back intensifying.  She wondered if she could go on this audition without giving the fact that she was in labor away.  She was so glad she had been tiny enough.  And that she had gone to New York for the past three months, and it was winter. But  Awards Season was coming up and she knew she would either have to decline every invitation she got, or, she would have to have this kid this week. _

 

_ She walked into the room to read with the male co star for this teen movie, and was shocked to see it had been Neal.  She had broken up with him about a month after the incident.  As soon as she found out.  She hadn’t told him about the baby, but the way he looked at her, he could tell she was indeed pregnant.  He didn’t say anything, but as soon as the audition was over.  One audition she knew she’d tanked, Neal came out to meet her.  “you lied to me?” _

 

_ “I didn’t lie Neal, I just didn’t say anything.” _

 

_ “So… what’s the plan?”  He asked.   _

 

_ “Right now?  I don’t know much except I’m going to give birth any day now.” _

 

_ “What is it?” _

 

_ “A baby Neal.  I can’t get attached to it.  I don’t know.”  Emma retorts just as Neal’s father walked into the room. _

 

_ “What is the meaning of this?”  Mr. Gold said. _

 

_ “Dad… I… we.”  Neal stammered. _

 

_ “What do you want, girl?”  Mr Gold asked Emma. _

 

_ “I don’t want anything.”  Emma said. _

 

_ “You’re Cora’s girl, aren’t you?”  He said. _

 

_ “Please… Cora doesn’t know.  I’ve been away most of the year.”  Emma begged. _

 

_ Mr Gold was thoughtful for a moment.  “Have you ever considered adoption?” _

 

_ “Well, My name… it’s just.”  Emma said. _

 

_ “Well If you close the adoption, no one needs to know who you are.”  He answered. _

_ “How do I do that?”  Emma asked. _

 

_ “Leave it to me dearie.”  Mr. Gold said. _

 

_ So she did. _

 

* * *

 

That morning,  Henry awoke early. He packed his school bag with a bunch of snacks he was determined to find his mother.  He needed to meet her to understand why… 

 

There was a knock on his bedroom door,  and he hurried to place the manila envelope full of evidence in the bag.  “Yes mom?’  He said looking over his shoulder.

 

Regina opened the door and smiled at him.  “You’re ready early.” 

 

“Yeah, I’m excited.  My friend Marcus asked me to stay over tonight.  So can I mom?”

 

“I haven’t talked to his mom Henry.”  Regina said.

 

“Please?” Henry asked.

 

“We will see.  how about you come down for breakfast.”  Regina said turning to head out of his room.

 

Henry groaned, he had to come up with another excuse.  He knew today was Emma’s birthday and maybe he would be able to spot her out and about in Hollywood.  He picked up his loaded backpack and headed down the stairs to the kitchen  for breakfast.

 

As he hit the last step, the doorbell rang.  “Henry could you get that please?”  His mom shouted from the kitchen.

 

“Okay mom.”  Henry said and opened the door.

 

“Good morning Henry…”  The man at the door said.

 

Henry smiled.  “Mr. Gold!”  Henry couldn’t help but like this man.  It was weird, but he always seemed nicer to him that he was to everyone else.  But for some reason, Gold always made his mom tense.  

 

“Is your Mother around?”  Mr. Gold asked.

 

“MOM! Mr. Gold is here.”  Henry shouted as he went into the kitchen.

Regina frowned and walked out to the living room.  “What are you doing here?”

 

“I came to talk to you about Henry.”  Gold said softly ensuring that the boy hadn’t heard.

 

Regina looked around and led Gold to the study.  Her mind flashed back to a day nine years before.  _  She sat in her office in front of Gold and his son.  She could tell the man loved his son, but he lived vicariously through him and it reminded her of her own very overbearing mother… without the abuse.  “You’re lucky to have that boy Gold, it’s deplorable how you ride him for his talent.  I’d kill to have a child like him.” _

 

_ “Funny you should say that.”  Gold said with a smug little grin.  “I know just the child.” _

 

_ “What?”  Regina said sitting back in her chair. _

 

_ “How do you feel about adoption?”  He asked coming closer to her desk.  She remained silent trying to hear him out completely.  “I know of a young actress who is looking for a closed adoption of her child.  It is a secret transaction that her guardian knows nothing about, and she wants to keep it that way.  It will be a simple transaction.” _

 

_ “What’s in it for you?”  Regina asked. _

 

_ “I have a vested interest that this child goes to a good home, the parents are special to me and I made them a promise.” _

 

_ Regina looked at Gold then back to her young client.  She stared at Neal and spoke in a measured tone. “So I will have no trouble from the parents about this child?”  Regina asked. _

 

_ “It is a promise…”  Rupert said. _

 

_ Regina did not removed her eyes from Neal. “Ye-- No ma’am the kid is all yours.” _

 

Regina had struck the deal and adopted the baby, with a promise from Neal never to ask to see the child again.  “What about Henry?”

 

“His father would like to meet him.”  Gold said.

 

“What?”  No way!  He promised that I would have no trouble from them people.”

 

“His mother signed away her rights, but Neal never did.  He wants to see the boy.”

 

“No, I will not lose my son.”  Regina spat at him.

 

“He does not want to take him from you. He wants only to know him.”  Gold insisted.

 

“Know him… not claim him.  Fine…  He may meet  My son.  When I see fit.”  Regina growled

 

“Of course.” Gold conceded.  “Thank you for conscidering.  That was a rash youthful desicion.”

 

Regina stepped forward.  “who is his mother?”

 

“You ask that again, and All I know is that she does not want to have any live connection to your son. I will not name her.”


	6. Called Out

Henry Ran out of the house soon after Mr. Gold got there. He needed to go, but first he wanted to talk to Mary. He needed to know if she were really related to him. He saw her at Granny’s as he headed to school, and walked inside. “Hey Mary.” He said dropping on the chair across from her.

She looked drawn and sad, “Henry!” She said with a smile.

“Henwy!” Neal said as he ate next to his mommy.

“Hey Kid!” He said to him with a smile. Then he turned to his sister with an inquiring look. “Mary?”

“Yes Henry?” She asked putting on a fake smile.

“How old are you?”

“Henry You know I’m Thirty Nine.” She said.

“How long have you know David?” He asked.

She smiled and put her fork down. “What’s this inquisition?”

“I just feel like I don’t know anything about your past. Like I know My mom married Your dad. And He died before you were fully grown. Which means you were an orphan.”

“But your mom was there.” Mary said. “She was like a big sister to me.”

“Which means she probably didn’t notice you were pregnant when you were thirteen.” Henry threw out there.

Had Mary had something in her hands she would have dropped it. Her face grew ashen as she looked at her little brother. “What?”

“You abandoned her somewhere and she grew up without you.” Henry continued.

“Stop…” Mary gritted through her teeth.

“You left her, and she grew up with someone else, did you name her?”

“Henry, stop!” Mary said standing up and taking her son into her arms. “You should be getting to school.”

Mary Margaret couldn’t keep the tears from her eyes as she ran out of the diner. “What wrong momma?” neal asked.

“Nothing Baby” she answers tearfully as she pulls out her phone. “Yes, this is Mary Margaret, I don’t… I can’t make it in today. I don’t feel well, I need to call for a substitute.”

She said into the phone and headed toward the daycare to drop Neal off. Once she did she headed straight to the Sheriff’s department. Without Preamble, Mary dropped into her husband’s arms with a sob. “Hey… what is it?”

“It’s October 22…” Mary sobbed into his chest. He stiffened. “It’s her birthday.”

“I know…” He whispered.

“Henry knows…”

“What?” David’s eyes widened remembering all too well that night. Mary showed up at his house crying just like this.

“It’s coming David, The baby OOOh” She said.

“I have to take you to the hospital.”

“No David, they’ll call my dad!” Mary begged. Just, Help me.” He looked around, his mother was still at work so he let Mary inside. He took her into the room and delivered his baby girl. He held on to her and looked at Mary.

“I want to keep her.” He said.

“David, we can’t We’re kids.”

“But she’s here, and… I don’t want her to die.” David said.

“Maybe we can take her to the fire station.” Mary said. “They have the safe drop off there.”

“Okay…” David said and the little girl began to cry. He pulled her close and kissed her head protectively. “Want to hold her?” He asked

Mary shook her head vehemently. “I can’t, I …. I can’t “

“Okay, okay.” he said and held his baby girl closer.

“Emma….” Mary says.

“What?” He says absentmindedly.

“Her name. Give her her name.” Mary said and moved to write a note for Emma before the three of them made that Trek to the fire house.

“How?” David asked pulling back.

“I don’t know.” Mary said. “ He just … He knew how old I was, and how we abandoned her…”

“We left her in a safe place Mary. We couldn’t take care of her.”

“I know…” Mary said still in his arms almost spent. “I still want her back.”

“She’s 26 today.” He murmurs. “She’s not a little baby anymore.”

“I guess not.” Mary said. “You think we’ll ever see her again?”

“You want to look for her?” David asked. She looked at him and brightened.

“How?”

“I guess we start with the Fire House.”


	7. Flashed Out

Henry left Granny’s  and ran over to the bus station. He hops on to a bus bound to Hollywood with a plan to stalk his biological mother on twitter.  All celebrities tweeted right? A pair of Teenagers got on the bus giggling.  “Hey do you follow Emma Swan on twitter?”  One said.  He recognized her from her his biology class.   Caleigh he thinks her name is.

 

“Oh my god Yes!  It’s her birthday, you think we’ll catch her out?  She’s so hot. She is my favorite kid star.”

 

“She isn’t a kid!”  Caleigh said.

 

“I mean she acts like one.  I mean what she’s only like 26.”

 

“That’s ten years between you and her my friend.  she ain’t no kid.  but you're right.  She is hot.”  Caleigh said.

 

Her friend laughed at her and shook her head.  “Man you’re so gay it’s not even funny.”

“What?  I bet she’s a little gay.”

 

Henry furrowed his brow and looked back at the girls.  “What is that supposed to mean?”

 

“Oh my God it’s the little kid from school!”  Caleigh’s friend said.

 

“You are so smart, why don’t you figure it out Henry?”

 

“Well, It sounds like wishful thinking to me.  Odds of her being gay are probably 50%. As far as taking notice of you… He looked at the Caleigh with her pale skin and blonde hair and waifish appearance.  “considering the type of guys she is usually seen with, that’s probably nil.”

 

“Wait, You think she might actually be bi?”

 

“My mom knows her…”

 

“Can you help us meet her?”  Caleigh and her friend sat forward in their seats.

 

“No… I’m just a kid.”

 

“Figures… Oh.. Caleigh she just tweeted that she’s going to lunch with some friends.”

 

Henry turned to his own phone and saw the tweet he was referring to.

 

_ Lunch at Cecconi’s on sunset.  Happy birthday to me! #birthdaylunch #yummy _

 

Cecconi’s.  Sounded interesting.  He looked up where the restaurant was and found that it would take 45 minutes to get there.  He hoped she would still be there when he arrived.

 

* * *

 

Regina sighed as The blonde kissed at the nape of her neck.  She was in Los Angeles for a few meetings and this one was her favorite meeting of the day. “What’s Lily’s Next Move?”  Maleficent asked sighing heavily and dropping right next to Regina in bed.

 

“Did you get a call back from Ronica?  She’s supposed to have her look at the pilot she is optioning.”

 

“Regina,  You can’t possibly be serious.  Lily couldn’t pull that off?”

 

Regina Laughed.  “She would do better playing a lesbian than you’d think.”  The brunette slid out of bed and began to walk toward the shower.

 

“Wait… What do you mean?”  Maleficent asks sliding out of bed as well.

 

“I mean she wanted gritty I got her gritty.  You have to let her try.”

 

“But, Come on.  she’s not that kind of actress.  I’d rather her keep working.”

 

“I think you should want her happy with what she is doing instead.  Don’t turn into a Cora.”

 

Maleficent  gasps. “Take that back!”

 

“Make me…” Regina said with a playful grin.  She stepped back into the shower, Maleficent not far behind.  And as she showered, Her phone rang for the fourth time in twenty minutes.  and again the call went ignored.

 

* * *

 

 

“Hi Babe!”  Lily says as she and Emma approach their table at Cecconi’s.  A man with curly brown hair sits at the table.  He isn’t classically handsome, but he gives Lily a winsome smile. He stood up and kissed his girlfriend lightly, and took Emma’s hand in his placing a kiss on the inside of her wrist.

 

“Happy birthday, Emma.”

 

Emma smiled, and rolled her eyes.  She sat down across from the lovebirds and looked around for the waiter. “Rude, Em!”  Lily complains.

 

“You know I hate my birthday.”  Emma snapped at the both of them and raised her hand to get the waiter’s attention.

 

“Yeah, well that’s too bad.  Most people like getting showered with attention only because they were born.”

 

“Whatever, Lily.”  Emma mumbled and turned to Neal.  He looked regretful to have even mentioned the day at all.  “Relax Neal, I’m not that fragile… Yes can you get me an Eastern Standard please?”  Emma asked once the waiter had arrived at their table.

 

“Certainly,”  The waiter said and turned to the other two celebrities at the table.  

 

When they made their drink orders, Neal turned back to Emma.  That look was still in his eyes.  “What?” She asked.

 

He looked at her for a long while as if to gauge what her reaction would be. “I don’t know how to say this.”  He started reaching out for Lily’s hand beside him.

 

“Oh for god’s sake, just say it.”  The waiter returned with their drinks, and Emma reached for her glass.

 

“I want to meet him.”  was all he said. 

 

Emma threw back her Eastern Standard Feeling the Grey Goose burn through her before gasping out an, “Get me another.”

 

* * *

 

 

“That was amazing!” A girl with an Australian accent said as Henry strolled up to the doors of Cecconi’s.  “All three of them were here!”

 

“That was my favorite show as a kid.”  An American girl said.

 

“You’re still a kid.”  The boy with them said.

 

“Oh shut up you know you wanted to be Neal when you were younger.”  The American said to the boy.

 

“Well duh… he got to kiss Emma on TV, of course I wanted to be him.”  He said, “It was cool of them to take the pic with us.  Wait… where is it?”

 

“Ah No! I think Emma took it with her phone.”  The Australian girl said.  Henry looked down at his hand and opened his Instagram account.  He searched for Emma’s verified account and there it was, the Restaurant front.  Her and Neal and Lily with the three kids still talking about the encounter.  

 

_ Chilling with fans on my b-day  Thanks for the birthday wishes guys! _ **_#loveMyFans_ **

 

Henry read the caption with the picture, and heard one of the girls screech.”Oh my god!”  The girl’s fingers flew excitedly over the screen of her phone as she updated a reply, and her reply of It was awesome to meet you was lost in the already hundreds of comments on the picture.

 

Henry watched Emma’s activity on instagram as he stood there in front of the restaurant.  Social media moved at lightening speed.  “Oh my god she followed me!”  The girl  squealed.

 

and as he watched Emma’s fast response to this virtual stranger, he couldn’t help but feel the pang of jealousy he felt toward them.  He balled up his empty fist and turned walking away hoping Emma would leave yet another clue as to where she was headed next.

 

His notifications chimed and he opened it to see what it was that Emma had written

 

_ Hitting up Sprinkles for my birthday cupcake.  #YupImEatingThat #trippleCinnamon #Yum _

 

Ugh… but that was all the way at the Grove!  He couldn’t walk there and catch her on time. But then she posted a picture of some shops that he recognized. The beverly center.  He made his way to the center and wandered the mall a while hoping to spot Emma somewhere.

 

* * *

 

“I should get going.”  Regina said kissing Maleficent one last night as she slides out of her bed again.

 

“Awww… it’s a shame you’re such a great mother.”  Maleficent purrs stretching languidly in her bed.  Regina laughs just as her phone rings.

 

She looks at the caller ID and sees it’s Mary Margaret on the phone.  “Ugh, what now… Hello?”

 

“Regina?  Please tell me Henry is with you?”

 

“What?  No!”  Regina said.

 

“He never showed up to school this morning.  I’ve been calling you for hours.”

 

“Shit… I’m coming home.”

 

“Okay… Later”  Mary trailed off and before Regina could turn off the phone Mary was talking to David.

 

“Everything alright?”  Maleficent asked sliding out of bed wrapped in her sheets.

 

“My son is missing.”  Regina said guilt at having spent her afternoon in bed with Maleficent instead of answering Mary’s calls setting in.

 

“Oh Regina.”  Mal said reaching out to touch Regina’s arm.  Regina stepped away from her and left Mal’s Home.

  
  


* * *

Emma Is drunk off her ass, but feeling much better now that Neal was gone.  She was safe at home hugging a bottle of Goose to her in the dark.  She was staring at the cupcake from sprinkles  on the side table by her couch.

 

Neal was going to find their son.  The son that she had tried so hard to forget.  The son that he didn’t want either.  Now all of a sudden he and Lily were getting married and he wanted a relationship with him?  It isn’t fair.  Neal didn’t know about the baby until days before he was born.  He didn’t have that bond with him like she did.  She loved that baby.

 

Emma felt that familiar ache in her chest and she rubbed at it.  Her eyes stung with unshed tears.  She took a deep breath, then downed what was left of the  bottle of Vodka.  Emma slid off the couch and picked up the lone candle she had set beside the cupcake.

 

She reached for the lighter she had placed on the side table, and lit the candle.  She closed her eyes and thought about Neal and that maybe she could meet her little boy and that maybe he could forgive her for giving him up.  “I want my family.”  She whispered and blew out her candle.

 

There was a knock on her door.  She turned to it startled.  Her heart skipped a beat thinking about how she had wished not to be alone just then.  She opened the door and saw a mop of red streaked brown hair.  “Ruby?”

 

“Hey there blondie.”  Ruby had been her babysitter when she was a kid.  She was just sixteen when Emma had landed her first TV Role and she served as her chaperone until she was twenty seven.

 

“What are you doing here?”  Emma asked a smile forming on her lips.

 

“We are going out.”  Ruby said and let  a couple of other guys into Emma’s house.  “Emm, This is Graham and Killian.”

 

Emma looked Killian over, the man gave her a charming smile and winked at her.  “Hello, Luv.”

 

“He’s hot huh?”  Ruby said.

 

Emma smiled at the older woman “He will do.”

 

Emma got dressed and on her way out of the door she pulled Ruby close and took a picture.  She posted it on Instagram captioning.  

 

_ Dressed for trolling.  Never know where I’ll show up!  Keep your eyes open LA!  _ **_#BDay26 #MyCrew #NoNewFriends_ **

 

* * *

 

Across town Henry sees the message and sighs.  He knows it’s late and his mother has probably called in the marines since he has been missing.  Besides he was getting hungry.  He looked out at Fig and Olive… Maybe an hour more.

 

* * *

 

“So you haven’t seen him at all today?” Regina asked pacing the living room as she speaks to another of Henry’s friends on the phone.  “Thank you.  Yes I will keep you posted.”

 

“Hi Granny.”  Mary says as Eugenia, a severe looking older woman, walks into the mansion.  

 

“How is she doing?’  She asks as she watches Regina pace the room talking to yet another friend.

 

“Granny, He’s been gone since this morning when we ate breakfast at your place.”

 

“We will find him.  That Henry is a smart kid.”  Granny said 

 

“I Hope you are right.”  Mary said as Regina hangs up again in tears.  Mary moves over to her former stepmother and holds her.  Regina allows the comfort for a very short time.  She doesn’t let anyone see her like this, but Mary has been the only person close enough to her heart other than Henry to allow the comforting.  “I hope you’re right, Granny.”

 

* * *

 

“You are completely plastered.”  Killian said to Emma as he eased his hand up her thigh. “I like it.”

Emma let out a little giggle and kissed Killian. “You only like it because you think you’re gonna get lucky tonight.”

 

“Aren’t I?  He asked.  She laughed at him.  “Come on Swan don’t be a tease.  It’s bad enough i've got to watch those two go at it right in front of us.”  He signals to Graham and Ruby.

 

Emma rolled her eyes and saw that the Car had arrived at Fig and Olive.  “Let's get out of here I’m starving.

 

“Are you looking to sober up Swan?”  He asked as she reached for the door.

 

“Only a little.” she said.

 

“Good I think I’d like to take my conquest sober.  “  Killian answered as she stepped out of the Limo.  Somehow that had struck her as funny and she laughed to the point of doubling over.  

 

Then she turned to the other two inside the car.  “Are you coming?”

 

“We’re going to circle the block, a bit.  I’ll catch you in a little bit.”  Ruby said.

 

“You better be back in ten minutes I swear to God.”  Emma said

“Come on, Swan, I can keep you company.”  Killian said holding on to her as if she needed his help to walk.  

 

She pushed him away and rolled her eyes.  You only want to get in my pants Killian.”  Emma snorted out and turned toward the restaurant.  When she did, she caught a glimpse of a little boy with dark brown hair and expressive green eyes.  His eyes  lit up when he saw her and Emma couldn’t help but smile, because her own little boy had been on her mind.  He looked about her son’s age.  Emma smiled at the boy and continued walking into the restaurant.  Never knowing that that little boy was about to change her life forever.

 


	8. Bringing Her Out

He was getting kinda  hungry, so he pulled out his mom’s credit card and looked at the door of Fig and Olive.    Just as he had decided to go inside, a woman that was so obviously drunk stumbled out of her car.  her blonde hair freshly done covered her face as she was laughing doubled over.  The man held on to her so that she didn’t fall.

 

“Are you coming?”  She asked the two inside the car.  Henry didn’t know what they said, but she said.  “You better be back  in ten minutes I swear to God.”

 

“Come on, Swan, I can keep you company.”  The man that was holding her up said, this peaked Henry’s interest.  His mother was there, in the flesh.  She was beautiful in real life.  His eyes prickled and his nerves hummed.  He was gonna meet the woman that gave birth to him.

 

“You only want to get in my pants Killian.”  Emma said, and walked toward the restaurant.  she looked directly at him and smiled, but didn’t acknowledge him any other way.

 

“At least she doesn’t hate kids…” He said to himself, and didn’t notice Emma do a double take at him, wondering where the kid’s mother was.  Henry was too busy thanking god for his luck and turned to go into the restaurant.

 

“Yes sir, may I help you?’  The host said when he entered,

 

“A table for um… two?” Henry said.

 

“Two?”  The man said.

 

“Mom’s Coming… Regina Mills?”

 

“Really?”  The host says skeptically.

 

“Yeah, just… can I have a table or not?”  Henry said haughtily.

 

“Fine kid, right this way.”  The host said leading him to a table near the back.  Henry walked past Emma again, and their eyes met.

 

“Hi.”  He said to her.  

 

She smiled at him.  “Hey kid.”

 

Henry took his chance and moved to pull his envelope out of his back. “I have somethi--”

 

“Come on Kid, stop bothering our patrons.”  The host said pulling Henry away.

 

“Wait, stop… Emma!  I’m Henry, I’m your son!”  Henry shouted.

 

“I am going to have to ask you to leave.”  The Host said herding Henry toward the door.

 

“Wait,  Take, this!  It explains everything.”  He says handing Emma the envelope.  Emma blinks and takes the envelope from him.

 

“Swan, what’s he talking about?”  The Killian guy asked and Emma finally was knocked out of her shock.

 

“Wait.”  She said to the host.  “Come here kid, Have you eaten?”  Henry shook his head.  “Sit down.”

 

The Host reluctantly let Henry go and Henry beamed at Emma.  She looked down at the envelope and pulled the proof out. “How did you find this.”

 

“My sister… she… She’s your mom.  I know she is.  She was like thirteen when you were born “

 

Emma sighed.  She understood why she was abandoned now, but it didn’t hurt any less.  “My mom adopted me, and I started to compare DNA and … I matched her, so I did the math…”

 

“And you hacked into police records…”  Emma finished.

 

“Well Yeah.” Henry said.  He watched her.  Emma had been drunk when she’d gotten to the restaurant He was sure.  But now, her vision and her pain were clear .

 

“Where’s your mom Kid?”

 

“Storybook Valley”  He answered.

 

“Where is that?”  Emma said standing up. “Let's go grab some burgers I’ll take you home.”  

 

“Okay.”  He said softly, following her out of the restaurant.  “Emma?”

 

“Yeah Kid?”  She said looking at him.

 

“Happy Birthday.”

 

* * *

 

The taxi pulled up to a huge mansion in the little town of Storybook Valley.  Emma looked out and sighed.  “This is your house?”

 

“Yep.”  Henry said as Emma handed the driver her card to scan.

 

“Why were you out looking for me?  You have everything I ever wanted.”  Emma said as they both stepped out of the car and stared up at the house.

 

“I was just looking for the truth…”  Henry said.  “I just wanted to know who I am.”

 

“You are Henry kid, DNA and who I am isn’t going to change that.”  Emma said finally turning away from the house.

 

“Didn’t you ever wonder about me?”  He asked, his eyes sad.  “About your mom?”

 

Another pang to her chest, her parents was another sore spot.  If his sister is really the person that birthed her, and she had all of this…  “ I don’t want to know her.”

 

“Henry?”  A voice from just inside the door said, then the door flung open and the most beautiful woman Emma had ever seen ran out to take the kid into her arms.  “Henry!  Where have you been?”

 

He held her, he loved this woman that had raised him, and Emma couldn’t take anymore of this.  “I found my real mom.”  He said.

 

Regina’s head snapped up finally registering that Henry had not come alone.  “You’re Henry’s mother?”  She sneered looking at the strung out actress.

 

“Hi…”  Emma said unable to say more.

 

“Henry?”  Another voice at the door. 

 

“Go to your sister, Henry.”  Regina said.  Henry ran to her and Emma could stay no longer.

 

Emma stepped back as quickly as possible.  “Goodbye, Kid.”  Emma said and turned.

 

“Emma, wait!”  Henry said.  “I’m going to tell them!  Just wait!”  But Emma walked hard and fast toward the inn she had seen when they first arrived the small community.  she would go into the room  and leave early in the morning.

 

The bell above the door rings as she enters the B&B.  “How can I help you?”

 

“Granny?”  Emma says startled.

 

“As I live and breathe… Isn’t this a small world?  Have you seen my ungrateful granddaughter today?”

 

Emma laughed and nodded.  “She ditched me… or I ditched her I don’t know.  I found a little boy and I gave him a ride home.”

 

“So what brings you to my humble place?”

 

“I need somewhere to crash, I just kind of need to be alone.”  Emma answered.

 

“Say no more…”  Eugenia said and brought Emma back to a room.

 

* * *

 

“And… That’s how I figured everything out.”  Henry finished his story.

 

Mary sat there hugging her arms around herself, and Regina looked at her stepdaughter.  “Thirteen?”

 

“I loved him, he loved me… and, we thought maybe she would do better with someone else, but I couldn’t very well take her to a hospital, daddy would have found out.  Of course I didn’t know he’d died that night…”  Mary said tears streaking down her face.

 

Henry smiled at Mary.  “I guess I should start calling you Grandma.”

 

Mary laughed tearfully, and Regina only shook her head.  “Henry why didn’t you just come to us with this… at least me…”

 

“I don’t know.  I guess I wanted to do it myself…  I wanted to meet her alone.  I wanted to know why, and if she had ever thought about me.”  He finished.

 

“Had she?” Regina asked.

 

“ I don’t know.  But I think so.  She just believed everything I told her, like she wanted it to be true.”  Then he shook his head.  “But then she left…”

 

“Oh Henry, that may have more to do with me than you.”  Mary said.

 

Regina sighed.  “Get some sleep, I will dole out your punishment in the morning.”

 

With a kiss to the forehead, Regina left Henry’s room with Mary in tow.  Her mind thinking back to the day Gold had put that little boy in her arms.

 

_ The nurses stepped out of the room where she and Gold waited.  It was only the day before that he had come to her with this.  One day, and then Henry had been born. She had arrived at the hospital as his mother labored, and it wasn’t twenty minutes before she had her newborn baby boy in her arms. _

 

_ “What would you have done if I hadn’t agreed?”  Regina asked the man. _

 

_ “I am invested in this child's future. “  he said.  “I would have found another suitable home.” _

 

_ “Why not take him in yourself?”  Regina asked  holding the baby close and feeling his warmth reach through her.  She was in love with him.  He was hers. _

 

_ “Because dearie, there is nothing like a mother’s love.” _

 

Regina sighed and reached for a tumbler filling it with apple cider.  She looked over to mary.  “If you weren’t in that way… I would offer you a

Regina sighed and reached for a tumbler filling it with apple cider.  She looked over to mary.  “If you weren’t in that way… I would offer you a drink.”

Mary shook her head and placed her hands over her belly.   “If I weren’t like this, I’d have gone after her myself.”

Regina nodded in ascension and turned to her phone texting Mary the information she had gotten from Emma’s rep days ago.  “Do with that what you may.”

Mary looked at her phone and gasped.  “thanks Regina.”

“Don’t thank me… your grandson did all the work.”  Regina said and a chuckle escaped her at the ridiculousness of this entire situation. 

  
Mary nodded, “thanks anyway.”  she said and left to go home to her husband and child.


	9. Listening Out

Emma awoke a lot more hungover than she had expected, considering she was quite sober by the time she had fallen asleep the night before.  Her head pounded and she groaned at the sun streaming in through the windows of Granny’s little B&B.

 

She took in a deep breath and she could smell the food from the diner attached to the lodgings.  She sat up in her bed and looked around.  This was not a normal room.  How was she even … “where am I.”  She looked to the bedside and spotted a picture of Ruby and her when she was a kid.

 

Emma smiled  and looked around her friends room.  Her stomach growled and she decided to make her way down to the dining room.  “Em! “ She heard Ruby squeal  and she came over to her and squeezed her. “You ditched us all at  Fig and Olive. Killian was so ticked you left him alone at the table following after a preschooler.”

 

Emma rolled her eyes.  “Killian is an idiot.”  she sat at the counter

 

“A hot idiot.”  Ruby stated.

 

“Well… yeah.”  Emma agreed just as the bell  by the door rang.  Emma didn’t look up, she didn’t care who in this sleepy little town recognized her.  Let everyone talk about how far she had fallen.  She was just there eat.  No she wasn’t hoping they would find her.  What would be the odds that her family would.  “Ruby can you make me that Hot cocoa?  you know with the cinnamon?”

 

“Sure thing Em.”    Ruby said and walked away.

 

Suddenly there was a presence next to her, then it surrounded her on both sides.  She looked first to her right, and saw a man.  she swept her eyes over him.  His face was familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him.  She caught sight of the badge then looked up at his eyes.  His very familiar eyes.  “May I help you Sheriff?”

 

“Emma, I’m David Nolan.”  He said extending his hand toward her.

 

She extended a hand to him.  She liked him instantly and didn’t know why, that was until she turned her head toward the other presence.  There she met her mother’s big green eyes.  Eyes she knows are the same as hers. “Hi…”  Her mother said.

 

“Daddy, Who’s that?”  a little boy of around five  said coming toward David.

 

Emma looked at the little boy that looked just like him.  Of course it made sense that they would keep him, they had to be almost thirty by the time he was born.  They were grown ups now.  They could take care of a baby now.  But how was that her fault. “This… is”  His… what? sister?  he started to say, but he trailed off deferring to Mary.

 

“This is Henry’s mommy.”  Mary said.

 

“Nina is his mommy.”  the boy said.

 

Emma smiled at the kid in spite of herself.  Yes blood relation meant absolutely nothing here. “You’re right kid.”  Emma stated and stood up. “Rubes, never mind on that drink, I’m done here.”  

 

“Emma wait, you can’t possibly hate me for this.  I was thirteen I didn’t know what else to do.”  her mother said reaching out to her, and grasping her forearm.  Emma looked down at the hand and jerked it away.

 

“I get it. But you could at least have given me to someone, not dump me on some doorstep.”  she spat in spite of how cool she wanted to remain.  Her breaths were coming quickly and she was thinking back to her life.  She thought about the only thing that made her like her mother.  She had given up her own baby.

 

_ She lay breathing heavily on the hospital bed.  Alone.  She hadn’t wanted Neal there.  He had left the whole adoption thing up to her and his father.  He had washed his hands of it.  He didn’t need this on his life.  He didn’t need her tied to him, as she had gotten a reputation with casting directors as being difficult.  It was ironic because the baby was the reason why she was difficult.  The baby problem was about to disappear, so why couldn’t he just help her through this. _

 

_ To top it off, Cora had called her that morning.  she had finally tracked her down, as she had been called by the doctors at the hospital as Emma was still a minor.  It was all worth it though, because her baby would have a home… he would be safe.  His grandfather would make sure of it. _

 

_ “Baby’s mother is here.”  Mr. Gold said walking into the room.  Emma shook her head with the pain, but his words were like a salve, because the baby would go home today.  “Would you like to see her?” _

 

_ Emma shook her head. then she screamed as a pain shot through her. “Sir, please excuse us, It’s time.”  One of the nurses said and looked at Emma with pity.  Emma had refused pain meds at the beginning feeling that she should feel all of the pain as punishment for giving him up.  But by the time she had changed her mind, it was too late and she had to go it naturally. _

 

_ She pushed, feeling every single muscle in her body tense with the effort., her body felt as though she were being ripped apart and pulled inside out. She screamed and cried, knowing that her life had been changed forever by the little thing that she had created. _

 

_ The baby wailed and she couldn’t help but take a peek.  “It’s a boy!”  The doctor said tearing a sob out of her.  “Care to hold him mom?” _

 

_ Emma Looked up at the ceiling with effort.  She couldn’t look at the little boy.  her little boy… not… her little boy. “no… no… I.”  Emma said as she caught a glimpse of the nurse whispering in the doctor’s ear.  She pulled the baby to her chest and walked away to clean him. _

 

“I at least did better for Henry.”  She said just as the door opened to the diner.

 

Regina stepped into the dining room, and looked behind her with a smile.  “Thank you!  you’re such a gentleman.”  

 

Henry stepped inside grinning at his mother, and Emma froze.  “Nina!”  Neal said running up to Regina.  She caught the little boy in a hug as Emma watched unable to move.  Then her eyes locked with Henry’s and he smiled.

 

Emma didn’t know whether to smile or cry.  “Emma!  You’re here!”  He said and it was then that Regina noticed the statue as Henry rushed to his biological mother and embraced her.

 

Emma wrapped her arms around him tentatively.  “Hey kid.”  Emma said.

 

“I was hoping I’d get to see you again.”

 

Emma lowered herself down to his level and looked him in the eye.  “You are so smart kid, I don’t know how you found me, but I am so glad you did.”

 

“And now you have your mom and dad too.”  he said beaming at her.

 

Emma couldn’t help but smile.  “I have you, and that is all I need.”

 

She looked at his bewildered mother.  The look of menace in her gaze was palpable.  “What do you want?”  Regina spat at Emma.

 

“Nothing.”  Emma said.

 

“You recall the adoption was closed, and you have no rights to him.”

 

“Do I have to remind you that I didn’t come looking for him?”  Emma defended herself.  “He found Me.  I’ll be damned if I turned him away again.”

 

“Mom, please!  Henry said coming between his mothers.  “I just want to know her.  I love you no matter what.”

 

Regina stepped back a moment and looked at her son.  She knew he loved her.  She had no doubt of it. “Are you aware that his father wants to meet him?”

 

“He…”  Emma said with a moan.  “He told me yesterday. 

 

“I will not lose my son.”  Regina growled.

 

“I will do everything I can so that you don’t.” Emma asserted.


	10. Testing it Out

Regina Walked into the diner one evening weeks later.  Emma had spent  a few hours with Henry every weekend since they had met.  And already Thanksgiving was approaching.  Mary had come around hoping to catch a glimpse of her elusive daughter. But she never caught more than a glimpse of blonde hair.

The weekend before, Regina had asked her for Thanksgiving dinner.  Emma refused.  Not one to push the issue, Regina  took that answer but when she walked into the kitchen after she had refused and seeing Mary in tears, she had resolved to do something about it.

 

“Hey Regina.”  Ruby said with a flirty smirk as she walked in.

 

“From kiddy wrangler to waitress… Ruby,  how far have you come.”

 

Ruby laughs..  “You fail to realize this is half my diner dear.”

 

“Oh, yes of course.”  Regina said sitting at the counter.

 

“How can I help you?”  Ruby said pulling out her notepad.

 

“I need Emma’s address.”  Regina said.  Ruby Hesitated and Regina rolled her eyes.  “Relax, this is business. I hear she is in need of new management.”

 

“I think she is leaving the business.”  Ruby said.

 

“She isn’t trained to do anything else.”  Regina said.  “What else is she going to do, starve to death?”  With that Ruby nodded in agreement and handed her a piece of paper with the requested item.

 

Not two hours later, Regina was at Emma’s door.  She paused before knocking.  What was she doing here? Cora had put Emma in this life.  Her mother Cora… it had been twentyfive years…

 

_ Regina sat with Mary, who was inconsolable at graveside.  She had lost her protector, and wondered if somehow her mother would come to get her.  Come and tried to take everything that had become hers now that Leo was dead. _

 

_ Her stomach churned in disgust remembering the night he died.  She’d been so far gone on whatever pills she could find that at first she hadn’t realized what had happened.  But once she did she screamed until Johana had come into the room and helped her move him. _

 

_ She wrapped her arms around herself, to hide the shudder from Mary.  Not that she would have noticed, the girl was grieving deeply.  “Mrs Blanchard… My name is August Wood, and I’m your Husband’s lawyer, and I wanted to give you my contact information.  When you are ready we will discuss his affairs.  The man said and walked off after handing her a card. _

 

_ She didn’t want to handle affairs, she was thinking that maybe she would sell everything and go away completely.  But then there was Mary.  She was alone.  She had no one.  Neither of them had anyone,  She looked at the sobbing girl and wrapped her arms around her.  “It’s gonna be okay Mary.  I’ll take care of you I promise…” _

  
  


Regina Knocked on the door.  She could hear glass in the background like it was either falling or breaking, it was so much glass.  “Go Away!”  sounded from the other side of the door.

 

Regina sighed and could not believe she had been allowing her son near this woman.  She knocked again.  “Ms. Swan open this door, or I’ll break my way inside.”

 

The clinking and glass breaking stopped.  “Regina?”  There were a few steps and then the door opened.  The actress looked as though she had been crying.  Her eyes red rimmed and her nose red and running.  She reeked of alcohol… though it wasn’t on her breath. “What are you doing here?”

 

Regina took in Emma’s messy hair, and clothes and the smell of alcohol, her sober appearance and speech and understood she had not been consuming it.  But still couldn’t help but make a snide remark.  “Don’t you think it’s a little early to be drinking?”The blond didn’t react, only stared at the brunette.  “Well?  Can I come in?”

 

“Are you going to judge me again?”  Emma asked again.

 

“I… I apologize.”

 

Emma stepped aside to let the woman in, and went back to the task at hand.  She lifted a bag that rattled like glass and walked out through a side door to the house.   “I was dumping out these bottles.  I’ve been a mess for the better part of nine years.”  Emma offered as explanation.

 

Regina knew it already, as it was clear, the source of her self destruction.  Henry… and Cora. Just after Henry was born, Regina could recall Emma working on three separate movies and a pilot.  the complaints to her about Emma were frequent.  Lilly picked up some parts that were meant for the blonde.  Emma wasn’t even her client, and she had decided at that point that she never would be…. that is until Cora went back to prison.

 

“I want to work with you.”  Was all Regina said when Emma came back into the house.

 

Emma paused and looked at her son’s other mother.  “Excuse me?”

 

“What else are you trained to do Emma?  I know my mother didn’t allow much else to enter your mind but performance.  Little girl dance classes and Acting lessons aside..”

 

“I don’t want to act…”

 

“Don’t you miss it?”  Regina said and pointed to the Lone Oscar Emma had gotten at eighteen, despite her personal decline, she shined in that roll. “One who doesn’t love what they do, can’t pull that off.”

 

Emma looked at the statuette.  Then to the numerous emmy’s she had gotten from the children’s show.  Her Kids choice awards, her Teen choice awards, Her people’s choice awards, and her golden Globe from the same movie as the Oscar.  “You’re her daughter…”

 

“I am not my mother.”  Regina said and moved closer to Emma.  “I will defer to you.  With me you get a choice!”

 

Emma sighed and looked back at the woman.  “I didn’t know she had a kid till I pressed charges and everything came out.”

 

“She got pregnant even before that, she gave my sister up for adoption but she was blackballed in Hollywood.  That’s why when I came along, she tried to get back into this world, and I failed her.”

 

“I guess the third time's the charm?”  Emma said.

 

“Miss Swan, You are part of my life whether I want you there or not.  My step-daughter, Mary--”

 

“Don’t talk to me about her.”  Emma said walking away.

 

“Listen,”  Regina said.  “She was laboring with you as her father died in my arms.  On that very night, Mary lost her father and her daughter, just give her a chance.”  Emma flinched and turned away from Regina.  “She was a child.  Even younger than you were when you made the very noble and wise decision to give Henry up.”

 

Try as she might, she couldn’t keep her resentment alive against Regina’s logic.  But she was so angry.  She didn’t want to give up her anger because her pain had been very real because of her parent’s decision.  “I just--”   
  


“I get it, years of resentment don’t just evaporate.  I’m not saying that you and she should do mommy daughter dates the way you and Henry do, but you should probably hear her out.”  Regina stated.  “As for your work?”  Regina signaled to all her awards that lined one of her walls. “You should consider me in your new management.  You have my number, give me a call when you are ready.  Thanksgiving dinner starts at four you should come. “

 

Regina turned and headed for the door.  “What should I bring?”  Emma said softly.  

 

Regina smiled to herself then turned masking her face again. “Henry likes Mac and Cheese.”

  
Emma smiled and nodded.  “Got it.”


	11. Feeling it Out

“So,”  Henry stated, hesitating only a moment as he and his mother walked around the lake of Storybook Valley.  “Who’s my father.”  Henry asked.

 

“Does your mom know you’re asking me this?”  Emma said as they came across some benches at the edge.

 

“No, but you were there…”

 

“Yes, but Henry, I don’t know if she wants you to know who just yet.  All of that is up to her.”  Emma answered putting her hands in her pockets.

 

“But, you're my mom.”  He said.

 

She sighed and stopped in front of a bench.  She sat and signaled for him to do the same.  “Henry, I gave up my right to decide what or when anything is right for you.  Even though I would love to do what a mom does for her child, I am not your mother.  Regina is your mother and she loves you.”

 

“I know this, and I love her too, but I want you here with me too.  Like, you could move here and I could see you every day and stuff--” He said excitedly.

 

“Henry--”

 

“I want to know you!  Even though I have a mom I need you here.”

 

“And you will. okay.”  Emma said nodding her head.  “But I’m just Emma.  I’m just some woman that your mom works with okay?”

 

“Emma you could never be just that.”  Henry said wrapping his arms around her middle.  Emma sighed and wrapped her arms around him.  she kissed the top of his head. “Just want to know his name.”

 

“Neal, Kid.”  Emma whispered.

 

“Cassidy?”  Henry said sitting back to look at her face,  He scrunched up his face.  “Ew… I never liked you together on the show.”

 

Emma laughed.  “You watched the show?”

 

“Yeah, Mom Reps Lily.”

 

“Oh…”  Emma  said blushing, realizing it was her that Lily had been having the affair with.  “Um, she’s nothing like what Lily described”

 

“How did she describe her?”  Henry asked curiously.  

 

Emma shook her head “Never mind Henry, it’s almost four, it’s time for dinner.”

 

“Gram and gramps are going to be there.”  He warned.

“I know.”  Emma said.  “She lets you call her that? She’s like thirty eight.”

 

“She says that it makes her feel connected to you in some weird way.” Henry answered keeping up with her steps.

 

“Oh my god it’s actually her!”  One of the girls that rode the bus with Henry  said coming up to them . 

 

“I told you I saw that kid with her.”  The other girl said.

 

“Emma, Oh my god, can I like get an autograph?”  the first girl said.

 

Henry smiled,  “They’re cool, I go to school with them, Ma”  He said and quickly closed his mouth blushing at the slip of the name he secretly called her.

 

Emma blinked but smiled pretending not to have heard it at all.  “Sure… You a Victory fan?”  She asked taking the paper and pen from the girl.

 

“Well yeah, I’m a teenager.  I grew up on Victory High School.”  She said.  “After the show ended I tried to follow everyone on social media, but  like I was ten… and Had nothing.  I found Shadowlands, the one you won the oscar for, a few months back, I think you’re better than everyone else.  Are you really done with Hollywood?”

 

“Geez girl take a breather.”  Her friend said.

 

Emma smiled “What’s your name?”

 

“Charlie, that’s Caleigh.”  Charlie said.  “She’s in love with you.”

 

“Char… My god.”  Caleigh said covering her face.

 

Emma laughed and signed Charlie’s paper and gave it back to her.  “Do you want one Caleigh?” She nodded. “Would you like a selfie?” Calleigh bit her lip and nodded.

 

Emma came closer and stood off to one side of Caleigh  She held out her hand, extending the phone to point at them.  “Oh my god I can’t believe this.”  Murmured an excited girl.

 

“Ready?  Emma said readying her finger to take the picture, then turned her head and kissed the girl’s cheek.  The girl's eyes were wide with surprise in the picture, Emma smiled and looked at the editing on her phone a scribbled Love E.Swan.  Then  she signed her paper and waved goodbye at the girls.

 

“That was really cool.”  Henry said as they arrived at his house.

 

“They are the only reason I’m considering coming back.”

 

“Really?  My mom can get you where you want.”  Henry said enthusiastically.

 

“I know.”  Emma said with a smile.

 

“Does that mean you’re going to sign”  Came a voice from the study as Regina walked out of the room.

 

“I think … yeah, maybe.”  Emma said undecidedly.

 

“Here.”  Regina said handing her the contract, “Sleep on it, get back to me when you are ready.  Also, I found something you might be interested in.  Look it over.  Now let’s go eat our food.”

 

The three of them walked into the dining room.  Everyone oohed and ahhed  at the spread, and sat around the table.  Emma sat on one side of the table next to Henry, who sat next to his mother  and  on the other side of the table sat Neal who grinned at Henry, Mary and David sat closer to their daughter, and did what they could not to stare, because Emma ignored them almost completely.

 

Regina took a look around the table and sighed at her stepdaughter.  “Would you stop fangirling, she is used to stares just say something.”

 

Emma looked up and her green eyes locked on to her mother’s eyes that were just like hers.  “When are you due?”  Emma asked as she glanced down to the woman's very large belly.  

 

Mary blushed.  “Any day now.. It seems I am meant for only fall babies.”

 

Emma didn’t smile just nodded and looked at her brother. “Hey Kid, when’s your birthday?’

 

“I dunno,”  Then he turned to Regina.  “Nina when’s my birthday?’

 

“It was in October dear. the 19th.”

 

“Oh Yeah… I just had a birthday.”  Emma couldn’t help but smile at the five year old.  “Henry’s birthday is coming too!”

 

“I know!”  Emma said.

 

“I’m getting a brother, now all I need is a sister.”  Neal said.

 

Emma looked at her parents then back at the little boy.  “Kid why would you want a sister?  They are a pain on your neck.”

 

“Nina says there is too much  tes tos...tess… too many boys in the family.”  Neal said

 

Emma laughed as Regina said “testosterone.  I would just like a little girl to dress up in pretty dresses that’s all.”

 

“Don’t look at me, this is it.  I’ve done this three times and i’m ancient now.”  Mary said with a chuckle forgetting herself for a moment.

 

“You can play dress up with Emma, I’m sure she won’t mind.”  David said.

 

Emma grinned at her father.  He just… she just instantly liked him.  Her mother took some getting used to , maybe she could try.  “It’s part of my job, Nina.”

 

Regina stopped mid spoonful and looked at Emma.  “You  should never call me that again.”

 

Emma quirked a brow.  “Why not?  Neal calls you Nina.”

 

“Your brother is five…”  Regina said and everyone looked at Neal.  He was oblivious to the slip and everyone resumed eating again. “Besides, Nina just wants to spank you for calling her that.

 

Emma choked on her next bite, and blushed profusely.  She looked at Regina who looked as though she had said nothing and continued eating.

 

David reached out and handed her her glass of water.  “Are you alright Emma?”  Mary asked.

 

Emma nodded,  “Just went down the wrong pipe.”  She finished her coughing fit and a shudder of … arousal?  went through her.  She had heard the stories from Lily, she knew Regina intimately from the hours she spent talking to her best friend about the things they did in bed… still do.

 

Regina realized Emma knew these things about her, at that moment.  Lily was friends with Emma it stands to reason that Lily would tell her of her gay adventures.  

 

The dinner settled into a nice light conversation.  Emma seemed to be trying to put the past where it belonged and engaged some with her parents.  but her favorite person in the room  other than Henry was Neal.  

 

Regina found herself looking at the younger woman now.  The reaction before, leaving her wanting to know if she were receptive to such a thing.  Not that she would act on it she kept her sexual adventures far away from Henry, and it would be wrong to be with his birth mother.  Wouldn’t it?

 

She looked over at Henry who met her gaze.  He smiled at her and took a spoonful into his mouth.  “I remembered watching your show, like I was fascinated by you from the moment I saw your little face on that first kid show.  I didn’t know why.  I've followed your career.  You were my favorite kid star, you seemed so different from everyone.”

 

**_Teen Idol, Emma swan is in the news again tonight.  Our camera’s caught her stumbling out of a hospital, her handler Cora Heart right beside her.  No news of why she was in the hospital but Cora insists Emma will be fine.  With three movies in the works, this Teen star just needed a little rest…_ **

 

_ “Poor Emma… I wish they would just leave her alone.”  Mary said smiling down at her new baby brother. _

 

_ “But then you wouldn’t be able to obsess over her like you do.”  David said jokingly.  Mary smacked his arm lightly, and he kissed her cheek. _

 

_ “Thank you so much for sitting with him.  I am overwhelmed, I didn’t get my affairs in order for leave on time.  I just need to get those together then I can spend my time with Little man.”  Regina said coming back into the room. _

 

_ “You haven’t picked a name yet?”  Mary asked. _

 

_ “I haven’t, I thought Henry… after my father.”  Regina paused. _

 

_ “That is a wonderful name Regina.”  Mary said and looked down at the baby boy.  “Don’t you like It?  I think Henry likes his name.” _

 

_ Regina smiled and kissed the top of her son’s head.  “Okay, I see you later, I’ll finish as fast as I can. _

 

_ “Bye Regina.”  Mary said, and soon it was just the three of them in the house.  David had gone upstairs as he was putting together Henry’s nursery for Regina.  Mary wandered up to the room and stared at her brother.  “He looks just like Her David.” _

 

_ “babe, don’t… All babies look alike.”  David said. _

 

_ “No, david they don’t.  That is Emma’s face.” _

 

_ “You could hardly look at her Mary, how would you know?”  David spat, having seen the similarities but didn’t want to think about the little girl he had to abandon. _

 

_ “I just know.”  _

  
  


“Plus you kinda looked like me and your name is Emma.”  David interjected breaking into Mary’s memory.

 

Emma smiled. wanly and her face was thoughtful. “Why the fire station?’  Emma asked abruptly.

 

Everyone stopped and looked at her.  Emma only looked at her parents. “Um,My dad was really well known, and, I… I just didn’t really know what to do.  I knew that If I went to the hospital to have you they would have called him. and he would know.  I just couldn’t... except I didn’t even know he was…”

 

Mary paused keeping a sob from escaping her.  “He was dead.”  Emma said dryly.  Mary nodded. “Did you ever try to find me?”

 

“We didn’t even know where to start.”  David answered.  “I mean it isn’t like you had paperwork.  we did think about going back to the firehouse, but they had told us there had been no baby at their door on that night.  The only baby that had been there had a parent with them…  Maybe… Maybe.”

 

“It was Cora, and me.  She picked me up before they went out to find me.”

 

“She’d spooked us..” Mary said.

 

“How did Henry even find out?”  Emma asked turning to her son.

 

“I kinda hacked into the federal register…”

 

“HENRY!”  Regina said and stood up right away.

 

“Kid, you could spend a lot of time in jail.”

 

“I just…”  Henry said but trailed off as his mother walked back into the dining room phone pressed to her ear.

 

“Right, just wipe the IP and get me a new one.”  Regina said into the phone.  “He’s nine, I will not lose my stupid genius child.”  Regina paused listening.  “He was trying to find his mother.  He didn’t disturb anything just gleaned information… Will do.  thank you.”

 

Regina hung up and turned eyes blazing to her son. “mom, I just..”

 

“You have lost all computer privileges until further notice, do you understand?”  

 

He nodded, and headed off to his room after a quick goodbye to Emma, his uncle  and his grandparents.

  
  



	12. Missing out

She wouldn’t have done it, except she was sexy and blond with hair down to her ass.  Her eyes were green  but still, nothing compared to Emma. Ever since Thanksgiving, Regina had been dreaming more and more about the Co-parent she finally had in her. Emma was becoming a fixture in their lives. She could trust Emma to take care of Henry.  To watch over him while busied herself with these cheap little trollops that showed up at her door for representation.

 

This one was no different, except she had offered readily.  she seemed a little hungrier than most. Plus she looked like her... and as Regina sat behind her desk legs trembling due to her ministrations she knew she’d call again.  If only to repay the favor.  Well she could let the girl audition for her.

 

Her Cell rang as she let out a shuddering breath. She looked at the number on the screen and extracted the girl’s head from between her thighs.  “Get dressed and go, I’ll call you.”  Regina smoothed her skirt down  and flung her own lacey panties at the girl as a promise of a call back.

 

The girl held it in her hand and smiled, knowingly as Regina answered the phone.  “Emma?”

 

“Hey, Regina, the kid and I are in the lobby and were wondering if you wanted to have lunch with us?”

 

“Absolutely, I’ll meet you out there.”  She says gathering some papers she was gonna get the blonde to sign someday.  She was rarely without the contract anymore just in case she got Emma in a less reclusive mood.  The blonde was mercurial at best, and sometimes she lived for her public, just like sometimes she tended to want to disappear.

 

She stepped out of her office tucking her shirt into her black pencil skirt, and she looked up at  Emma who watched her every movement.  She saw a blush rise in her cheek and tilted her head confused. “Hey,”  Emma said as Regina approached.

 

“Good afternoon.”  Regina said.  “Here. Look this over, you are signing right?”

 

“Yeah, but Regina.  they don’t miss me.  not really.”  Emma said.

 

“How about this, you go on vacation something low profile for a while. I own a beach house in maine.  It’s a little  secluded.  You can disappear a while see what happens.  If no one notices, then we will plan accordingly.”

 

“Okay, Yeah.”  Emma said taking the packet of paper and the three of them walked out of the door to head to the Ivy.

 

* * *

 

Two weeks passed, since the last time Neal had seen or heard of Emma.  Now he needed to talk to her and he stood outside of her door banging.  He looked around and found the vase where she kept her  spare key.  It wasn’t there.

 

He looked around for any other way in.  Instead he called Lily to come over.  When she got there he explained the lack of answer.  “I’m worried babe.”

 

Lily picked up her phone and texted her best friend, sure it had been a couple of days since she had last texted.  She looked at the phone.  It had been weeks. “Emma…  where are you.”  Lily said typing it out in a text.

 

fifteen minutes went by and there was no answer.  Neal called the fire department  and  together they waited.  The door broken into   Neal was free to search for his friend.  The mother of his child was nowhere in sight.  There weren't any clues as to where she may have gone.  

 

The last time she had disappeared like this he made her promise not to do it again.  It was around her 21st… and a Sex tape of her had surfaced.  It was her, shit faced with four dudes.  Four…

  
  
  
  


_ “Is that what you were doing while you were gone?”  Neal and Lily faced off with her. _

 

_ Emma shrugged. “Why the hell do you care Neal?” _

 

_ “You are my friend.  Cora is going to murder you.”  he answered. _

 

_ “If she can find me… You are not telling her a damn thing.”  Neal and Lily looked at each other. _

 

_ As if called to them by the mere mention of her name, Cora burst into the room.   Emma’s shocked expression landed on Lily’s confused face.  Neal covered his face. “Did you think you could hide away from me?  You have every cameraman and photographer tailing you. You stupid trollop.  Well I hope you  enjoyed that, because we have a lot of work to do to recover from this filth.” _

 

_ So Cora had had her followed… Emma narrowed her eyes as the woman went on and on about making apologies.  “Hold on… why should I apologize?”  _

 

_ “Dear, you are a child star--” _

 

_ “I’m not a child in case you haven’t noticed.  Valerie is no longer my responsibility.  Victory High has ended, okay?” _

 

_ “But you have built a rep-” _

 

_ “I don’t give a fuck Cora.”  Emma said and walked off on to the next room.  Neal and Lily looked at the angry woman and decided to stay as she looked murderous. _

 

_ “She will come to her senses, we’ll talk to her.  Just get your press tour scheduled okay?” _

  
  


Her clothes, she had so many of them.  How could he ever know if she meant to disappear like that?  She wasn’t missing any bags that he knew of.  Her ID was gone, her booze was gone.  there were some broken bottles  near the back entrance.  Then Neal got a phone call.  “Hello?”

 

“Mr. Cassidy, we had agreed upon a meeting time yet you are not here.  Henry and I will be leaving now, I feel that maybe it isn’t the right time for you to meet him afterall.”

 

“No… wait.  Miss Mills, Henry’s mother.. I came to speak with her about the meeting, and she’s … gone missing.  I am worried about her.  Can we please reschedule?  Regina was silent for a second.

 

“His mother is missing?  She didn’t ask to meet him.”

 

“Yes, but I thought maybe she would want to know him.”

 

“Regardless Mr. Cassidy, I am his mother.  She has given up that right to him.  I’m inclined to favor the woman that honors her promise to stay away from my family.”

 

“ I never agreed--”

 

“I am aware that you never gave away your parental rights, but you also never went on record on Henry's Birth certificate as his father.  You are not on his birth certificate.  How do you even know he was your child?”

 

‘Miss Mills, his mother is missing…”

 

“Yes, well that is of no consequence to me.”  Regina answered spitefully.

 

“Please… I’m I’m coming.  Ten minutes.”

 

“Too late.  I am tired. of waiting.  For what it is worth, I hope she is alright… For Henry’s sake.”  Then she hung up.    Neal stared at the phone incredulously unable to understand what had just happened.  And that thanks to Emma, he had lost his son yet again.

 

“What was that all about?’  Lily asked.

 

“I just lost my son… again thanks to Emma.”  Neal said.  “I swear she better be dead or dying.”

 

“You don’t mean that.”  Lily said.

 

“NO, you don’t understand. She made me lose him again!”

 

“You didn’t even know he existed till two days before he was born.”  Lily pushed back.  “Don’t be an asshole  because you couldn’t get your courage up to tell Emma to give him to you if she wasn’t going to keep him.  Your career was more important then.  Now that yours trails her’s even if she’s the burn out, you want to be angry because she gave him to a parent who is fierce enough to say no to you?”

 

Neal stood there and looked at Lily in shock. “I was just a kid…”

 

“SO was she… younger even and you didn’t see how she cried herself to sleep every night.  You weren’t there to hold her.  she was a mother.  Her body told her so, but she was empty and You know this was what burned her light out.  That was what began all this shit Neal.  You weren’t there.  I was.”  Lily looked around the house again.  “So if she is okay, I hope to God she isn’t drunk off her ass, It’s almost time for the boy’s birthday.”

 

“Henry.”  Neal said quietly.

 

“What?”  Lily said looking back at him.

 

“That’s his name.”  He answered and Lily smiled.  

 

“Nice…”

* * *

 

“Good night, Mom.”  Henry said giving Regina a hug that night before he left to stay with his grandparents.   She deposited a kiss to his forehead and watched as her family rolled down the street.  She was alone at home a lot more than usual.  she shared Henry with his grandparents more now.  They felt like what they couldn’t do with Emma they are doing with him.  But Henry has always loved being with them and the extra attention.  Regina sighed locking the door then headed to her own  room.

 

She readied herself for bed and brought her tablet with her to the bed.  She searched hits on Emma Swan,   **Hollywood Starlet Gone Missing**  was one of the headlines she came across.

 

It took the world two weeks to figure out she was gone, and thirty minutes to have stories speculating her where abouts.   She hit one of the links and it talked about how she had once disappeared like this before, at the height of her sex tape scandal.

 

“Sex tape?”  Regina questioned to herself out loud.

 

A quick scan of the article produced no link to this alleged tape.  so she did a search.  She found it  and found herself an eyeful of Emma’s beautiful unretouched 21 year old body.  The small tiger stripes on the side of her pelvis.

 

Regina couldn’t look away from the mother of her son and watched on, even as she saw her be used by those men… Emma was not in her right mind,  Regina could tell.  She was already so far gone.  Five years  since she had given her a beautiful baby boy and she had fallen to that.  

 

Regina tilted her head as Emma placed herself in an interesting position that seemed to be working well for her.  Emma’s face of pure abandon stole Regina’s breath.  She moaned and lay back in her bed.  Her pulse racing and the sound of Emma’s voice was enough to take her over the edge.

 

Regina turned off the Video and shut her eyes tightly  trying to erase that look in her son’s other mother’s eye.  It had been weeks since she had been with anyone, and wasn’t sure she wanted any but one near her like that.  Plus her own hand was not going to be much help.  

 

Her cell rang, and she took a deep breath, this was just the distraction she needed.   without looking, She answered closing her eyes and biting her lip when the voice on the other end responded. “Hey, did you see the news?”

 

“Mmmm hmmm”  Regina hummed in assent unable to trust herself with words just then, as her insides quaked in near orgasm. 

 

“It took them forever to even check on me.  Not even a text till this afternoon just before the news broke.”  Emma was saying, but Regina remained silent  fighting an urge to release.  “What do I do now?”

 

“Emma, once the news hit, everyone began investigating.  you are huge still.”  She takes a deep breath.  “We tell them you went to rehab whenever you are ready to come back.” 

 

“Okay… Shit…”

 

“What’s wrong?”

“Your voice is so fucking sexy… Um… anyway, good night.”  Emma hung up quickly.  Regina’s brain in full meltdown mode.  she held the phone to her ear for a long time after Emma had gotten off.

 

Was she really affecting Emma?  Or was the actress playing off of what she knows about her.  Emma is an insider.  She knows of Regina’s preferences. She is not naive enough to think the opposite.  Or was she actually trying to play her just so she could be in Henry’s life?  It had to be the latter.  Emma liked playing with boys, that much was obvious by that tape.

 

Regina groaned not knowing why she was even contemplating the issue.  Emma was straight, and Henry’s mother.  She was not someone she could take to bed.  With that mantra in her head, she drifted off to sleep.


	13. Tough It Out

“Hey!  Just stopped by to let you know Henry’s with me.  We’re going to that one movie he was telling you about?”

 

“Wait, Matched?  I thought he wanted to go with me.”

 

“Yes, to the premiere…  but you had to miss it, so I figured I’d just take him to a regular one.

 

“Oh… Emma, I have a role for you.  You have to audition, because… you know.”

 

“Okay.”  She said taking the envelope from Regina hand, and her fingers accidentally on purpose lingered over Regina’s  as she did.

 

Regina looked at Emma who seemed innocent enough as her touch seared the skin of her hand. “The audition is tomorrow at their studio,”

 

Emma smiled at Regina. and walked out of the room.  Then she remembered,  It was the day that she had set up for  Neal to meet his son.  “wait Emma…”

 

Emma turned to face her.  “What’s up?”

 

“I need to take Henry to see Neal today.  I’m sorry”

 

“What? “

 

“It’s supervised by me and It won’t be for longer than an hour and a half.  Emma Henry wants to know him.  and just like it was for you, I will allow my son to see him.”

 

Emma stood at the door dumbfounded.  She nodded her head.  what could she say, Henry was Regina’s son.  Not hers, No matter what body gave him life, the truth was Regina was Henry’s mother, and she got to decide who he got to spend time with him.  “Um… so You want me to take him home?  Or…”

 

“No… I was just leaving to get him.”  Regina said walking over to her. “We can look over that package if you want … Or….”

 

“No… I’ll… I know how to prepare on my own.”  Emma said trying to control the urge to cry.

 

“The way my mother taught you… I don’t think…”

 

Emma laughed.  “I never did what Cora wanted me to do in those auditions alone…  I am actually good at what I do Regina.  I’ll be fine.”  Emma turned  and headed back out.  “Hey Kid, Change of plans.  You will go with your Mom, cause I have a ton of work to do…”

 

* * *

 

Emma got the part.  and had lined up two more small parts in other productions.  She was a different Emma than many of the producers remembered.  She smiled a lot more than what they remembered.  Though she had been friendly enough before, she seemed so much more open and relaxed than before.

 

The change of course had been her Management, and her family.  She had actually begun to open up to her family, and Her brand new brothers were her favorite people in the world besides Henry.  She often took The two older boys on set with her.  They centered her.   Her cast mates didn’t mingle with her when they were there, but they appreciated their presence, because she lit up when they did and she performed better.

 

One day Henry went out of Her trailer and to craft service  and one of the actors, Robin came up to him.  “I didn’t know Emma had family.”

 

Henry looked at him.  He shrugged.  “She does now.”

 

“That’s cool… You kind of look like her. She your aunt or something?”

 

“Or something.” Henry said.  “Excuse me, I’m just getting Neal some cookies.”  Henry grabbed the cookies and ran off to Emma’s trailer.  Robin watched as the boy entered.  Before he could turn away, Emma emerged from the trailer, signaling to the boys to stay put in her trailer.  

 

She marched toward Robin, a dark look on her features.  “What do you think you’re doing?”

 

“Wh… what do you mean?”  Robin stammered startled, not thinking she should be that angry.

 

“Why were you grilling the kid over there?”  She asked.

 

“I was just wondering…”   
  
“He’s  my Rep’s kid.  Okay?  Stop bothering him.”

 

“Your Reps Kid?”  He looked toward the trailer then back at Emma, those boys looked so much like Emma.

 

“That’s right…”Robin heard from behind.  Emma stepped to the right to look around him and Regina stood there.  “Are they ready?”

 

Emma smiled brightly at the woman, and Robin immediately recognized Regina Mills Blanchard.  He had wanted to sign with her before, but he thinks maybe her focus is on women.  Yeah, they are at the trailer.  Though Henry loaded Neil with cookies.”

 

Regina smiled and headed in that direction. “I’ll let you …”  Signaling to Robin.

 

Emma nodded.  “I’ll be there in a sec.”

 

Robin sighed.  “Look, I’m sorry.  I just thought… I really like you Emma and, I don’t know if you feel what I am feeling.  Were just…”

 

“Robin,  If you want to know something, you have to ask me.  If I don’t want to answer, I just won’t. Don’t go digging into my life, okay. I mean… She let her eyes wander over him.  “If you wanted me, all you had to do was ask.”

 

“Well… okay… Do… do you want to go out?” He asked.

 

Emma raked her eyes over the man again.  “I don’t want a boyfriend.”  She said stepping closer. It had been a while since she’d been with anyone at all and She had been feeling a bit hungry for release.  Her time with her son’s mother  was becoming increasingly frustrating, as she kept putting out signals, but the older woman always pumped the breaks and kept it professional.  It doesn’t help that she is closely linked to her mother and will not ever take that step as it is.  “What do you say we just skip the going out.”

 

Robin swallowed, but reached out to hold her hips. He kissed her.  It was hard  and Hungry.  Her arms encircled his neck as he pulled her even closer to him.  “Emma I was...Oh…”

 

Emma pulled away and whirled to face Regina.. “I… this…”

 

“It’s none… of my business… I was just… The boys and I are gonna go.”

 

“Fuck.. “  Emma muttered and followed the older woman without a glance back at Robin.  “Regina wait, what did you want to tell me?”

 

“I got a call from Kimmel, he wants you to do the show for your guest spot on Scandal, since it’s the first thing anyone has seen you in since the oscar.”

 

“Oh… Yeah okay.”  Emma said Henry then came up to her and hugged her goodbye. Then her little brother jumped up so that she’d catch him and she hugged him tightly.  “Alright guys, I see you later.  At dinner?”  She looked up at Regina as if to confirm that she was still invited to family diner.

 

“Should we expect an extra guest?”  Regina said.

 

Emma tilted her head at the word ‘extra’  She made it clear that Robin didn’t belong in their family dynamic. “No… I was just--”

 

Regina cut her off with another none of my business and ushered the boys into the car.  She watched them drive off still confused about why Regina was that shaken by a kiss.  One that was nothing at all really.

 

* * *

 

“The interview with Ma is happening!”  Henry called out to Regina who had been in the study.  She no longer cringed when she heard him use that term for Emma, because that was who Emma was.  She was His Ma, and every day she acted more and more like a mother would.  She had even disciplined him one time, which had shocked Regina, because she had figured that she would always be the heavy in their family dynamic.

 

Family dynamic… Family… She had to laugh at herself as she walked toward the TV room where her son watched as Jimmy Kimmel introduced Emma.  Emma was all charm as she walked out, making eye contact with her audience.  She hugged Jimmy and sat all smiles.  “great to have you back here with us Emma”

 

“Oh it’s great to be back!”

 

“We know you had some things happen with your former Rep…”

 

“Oh yeah I was a mess… she was done with me hahaha.”

 

“So much so that she tried to kill you.”

 

“Well I was so high I couldn’t tell the difference.”  She said honestly.  Jimmy laughed.  “But seriously I’m glad I survived her and now i’m in a much better place.”

 

“After the whole ordeal with your former management, you’ve found The Blanchard firm.”  

 

“Yes…”

 

“She’s is one of the best here in Hollywood.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“She got you a gig on one of our favorite shows.”

 

“Yes!  Oh this episode was so much fun!”   Emma said.

 

“Will you be in other episodes?”

 

“Um, I don’t know, but you never Know with Scandal.”

 

“So what else is in the works?”

 

“I’m shooting a pilot right now, we hope gets picked up  for the fall, and I had a little cameo in a movie.  “Freak show Movie”  It’s one of those fun parody films you know?”

 

“Yeah with the Wayans.”  Jimmy intoned.

 

“Right.”

 

“Is there  anyone special in your life?”  Jimmy asked.

 

Regina looked up at the Television bristling at the question.  She watched as Emma shifted in her seat a little and blushed prettily.  “There’s one special man in my life.”

 

“Ooooh Do tell.”  Jimmi said.

 

“Jimmy… I can’t”  Emma said playing coy.

 

Regina balled her fists as she watched.

 

“Aww come on!  You haven’t been with us for a while, you can talk to us, we won’t tell anyone.”

 

Emma laughed.  It was her flirty laugh, and she sees Emma can’t help but be flirty because it’s who she is in front of the cameras.  That is her star persona.  It’s her performer. “Well I met him like nine years ago, but I’m just starting to get to know him now.  I love him a lot.”

 

Henry giggled where he sat.  Regina looked at him having found nothing that she said funny at all.  “What’s so funny?”

 

“She just told me she loved me… She said she would.”  Henry answered.  “She’s smart!”

 

Regina reviewed what she had just heard and nodded.  “I think that’s where you got your brains.”

 

“Wedding bells in your future?” Jimmy asked.

 

“Oh Jimmy… Every Girl wishes she will get that fairytale.  We will see.”

 

* * *

 

“It’s wednesday…”  A voice at her office door stated.  Regina looked up blankly.  Maleficent stood there.  her anger plain on her face.  

 

“Oh… Em…”  Regina said and looked down at her phone… “I thought I had… Oh Mal, I’ve been so busy with a new client, I just.  Can we like push it till next?”  Regina really just didn’t want to be with anyone but she had an all consuming need to be with Emma.

Her wednesday afternoons of carnal delights with Maleficent have been pushed for a total of four times already.  “Is that why My daughter hasn’t been called back for anything?”

 

“Your daughter is planning a wedding and asked for time off for a bit.  Mal come on! you know I love Lily.”  Regina answered leaning back trying to appease the hot dragon woman prowling from her door.

 

“I miss you.”  Mal said turning her dragon into a pussy cat.

 

“All we do is have sex… need I remind you you have a perfectly willing husband at home.”  Regina said allowing Mal to sit on her lap.

 

“Come on… have “Lunch”  With me… I’m hungry for… you.”  Mall purred leaning toward Regina’s ear.  She licked at Regina’s neck  like she knew the woman liked.  

 

Regina shifted.  Mal reached for the buttons of her blouse and began to undo them.  But Regina pushed her away. “Stop, Mal… really I can’t right now.”

 

Mal sat back and looked at Regina.  “You’ve found someone… No, you LOVE someone.”

 

Regina rolled her eyes.  “Mal, just because I don’t want to have sex with you , doesn’t mean there is someone else.”

 

“No, not someone else… there is always someone in your bed Regina, I’m not fooled.  But this is THE someone else.  It’s THE one.”

 

“Stop being so melodramatic.”  Regina said.

 

“Fine, then fuck me right now. You know I can cum fast and ready. I’ve been waitin--”

 

“Mal!”  Regina interrupted truly disgusted by this suggestion.

 

“See… That always got you going.  You always were ready for me.”  Maleficent said and began to walk toward the door.  “Word of advice, grab on to her, whoever she is.  and never let her go.  I’m happy for you.  You do have a heart after all.”

 

Regina stared at the door long after it had closed.  There was no way she would get any work done now.  So she got up and went home.  Her mind trained on Emma.  As she got home, Henry noted her strange pensive behavior and followed her into her office. “Mom… what’s wrong?”

 

Regina was not in the habit of lying to her son.  She never  did, not even for Santa Claus.  She figured now was not the time to do so.  “I’m in love with your mother….”

 

“Oh… Well yeah I knew that.”  Henry answered.  “I've been waiting for you to ask her out for weeks.”

 

“Henry, your mother likes men.”

 

“Well she likes you, so you need to stop pushing her away every time she gets too close.”  He answers.

 

But Regina couldn’t take the rejection.  She was in deep she realized and needed to protect herself.

  
  


 


	14. Spelled Out

“My mom is in love with Emma.”  Henry said to his grandparents having sat them down one afternoon at Granny’s .  “And I need you to help me get my moms together.

 

“Oh… Henry…”  Mary said holding his new baby uncle close to her chest.  “How do you know?”

 

“Well she told me.  You know she never lies to us.”  Henry answered looking at her meaningfully.  He meant us as in her children.  Then she thought… that was her daughter… and someone sort of like her mother…  A hint of disgust passed her eyes, but if she really thought about Regina, she was young and so not her mother.  She’d had no  relationship to Emma at all.  she hadn’t even known she existed except for her work.  Regina is not attached to Emma the way she was.  She saw her as a woman first, and not as her granddaughter.  Not like a Nina, not like Neal at all.

 

She looked to her silent husband, who seemed to be contemplating  something and then turned back to Henry.  “Emma likes boys…”

 

“Emma likes everyone.”  Henry said.

 

“How do you know that?”  Mary gasped.

 

“I watch her.  She gets this look in her eye when she really likes the way someone looks.  then she runs her eyes all the way down their body really slowly and picks up her phone and begins to text.  she is more obvious with the boys because she can be.”

 

“I don’t know Henry.  Your mom… she likes lots of women.”

 

“Yes she likes them… but she is in love with Ma.” Mary was not too inclined to agree. 

 

“I think Henry’s right.”  David finally spoke.

 

“David! don’t encourage him!”  Mary said.

 

“Just watch them tonight. You’ll know for sure.  I’ve seen what he is talking about.”

 

“Fine I’ll watch, then we will see.”

 

* * *

 

In her trailer, Emma was sat upon Robin’s lap.  She kissed him hungrily, she needed release.  This was driving her crazy.  She was due to see her family, which included Regina and she didn’t think she could take anymore sexual tension.

 

She felt as Robin’s hands traveled from her upper back down to her ass.  She bucked her hips closer, feeling the erection press against her.  It was happening.  she trembled in excitement.  He pulled back and looked up at her.  “Wait.  I mean I want to get to know who you are, before this happens.”

 

“The hell?”  Emma said moving backward.

 

“Yeah, I mean, we have to work together, I don’t want this whole wham bam thing then we feel--”

 

“I don’t feel anything.  I just need to get laid ugh!”  Emma said frustratedly sliding off his lap.  She picked up her phone and checked the time.  “Shit, I have to go anyway.”

 

“Emma.. come on, where are you going?”  He asked as she picked up her boots and slid her foot into it.

 

“I have a dinner thing.”  She said reaching for her red leather jacket.  It was her favorite thing to wear when she needed comfort, and right now she needed more than comfort.

 

“I can come with you--”

 

“Ugh, Robin, don’t be such a girl.”  Emma said running out of the Trailer. and jumping into her car.  When she got to the house, Neil greeted her.  “Emmy!”

 

“Hey there boy wonder.” Emma said picking her little brother up with ease.  He was the one that had cracked her wide open, and she was slowly acclimating to being part of a family.

 

“Hi Emma!”  Her mother said coming toward her.  She still didn’t know how to greet her, and Emma wasn’t about to make it easy for her.

 

“Hey,”  she said then leaned closer and kiss the top of the baby’s head in her arms.  “Hey, munchkin.”

 

“Hey Em.”  Her father said from the other side of the room.  Emma beamed, She has always liked the sheriff.  He was her favorite parent, but he just had a charm about him.  She reached out to hug him and he kissed the top of her head.

 

“Ma!”  Henry said coming to her in greeting.  Emma put Neil down and hugged her son to her.  all of her tension disappeared.  she was home.  she had come home and she wished she could stay there.  “Mom got me Mario Kart 8.  Wanna play?”

 

“Sweet!  Yeah I’ll play, just let me go say hey to your mom.”  She said finding it weird that she hadn’t come out too.  Regina had been avoiding Emma.  Not that Emma had been looking for her either.

 

She walked into the kitchen, and Regina was fixated on dishing out her Lasagne.  Emma walked silently behind her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder so that she wouldn’t startle as she said, “hey.”

 

Regina trembled and turned to face Emma.   The blonde’s hand trailed down the brunette’s arm and their eyes locked.  Without thinking they both leaned forward.  it was natural as if they had done it a million times before.  and when their lips met both jumped back again.  “Um… you’re cutting it close…”  Regina had said turning away from Emma.

 

“Yeah, sorry.”  Emma said distractedly.  “Um… Can I help?”

 

“Sure… Take these to the table.”  She said handing her the plates that already had the food on them.  Emma nodded and headed out.

 

Throughout Dinner.  Mary watched as her daughter watched Regina through heavily lidded eyes.  She was so subtle with it.  She had never picked up on it.  Regina was distracted and even more quiet than usual.  She shrank away from Emma.  Did everything she could to politely avoid looking or speaking directly at her and her heart broke for Regina.

 

After dinner, Mary approached Regina just before she entered her study.  “Hey can we talk?”

 

Regina looked at the younger woman and nodded, she always had this rapport with Mary, why should that change now that she knew she had given birth to the one person who could shatter her heart. “What’s up?”  she said sitting in her chair and turning her desktop on.

 

“What’s with you and Emma?’  Mary asked.

 

“Work dear.”  Was her automatic response.

 

“Don’t lie to me Regina, you said you never would lie to us.” There was that us again.  she knew she was playing dirty, but she had to remind her.

 

“I love her.”  Regina admitted.  “I want her for myself, but I don’t trust myself to make a mess of this family if I act on how I feel.”

 

“She likes women too you know…”  Mary said after letting out a long breath.

 

“Oh… I know that now…”  Regina said.  “Not that it ever stopped me before.”

 

Mary sat down across from Regina.  “So what’s stopping you now?”

 

“I don’t want her to hurt me.”  Regina said truthfully.  “She is young and beautiful.  She could ruin me.”

 

“For what it’s worth Regina… I couldn’t think of anyone better for my little...not so little girl.”  Mary said.

 

Regina smiled wanly and turned her head toward her computer.  With a sigh, Mary left the room and walked out to meet her family.

 

* * *

 

Emma and Henry settled into the living room to play Mario Kart.  “So…”  She said once her parents left the house.  “Does your mom Date a lot?”

 

“My mom has lots of sex.”  Henry said matter of factly.

 

Emma chokes on her own spit not having expected that.  “How..”

 

“I have ears, I mean… things get sent here, phone calls are taken… Mom doesn’t lie to me and she tells me why these things happen.”

 

“Oh… have you ever…”

 

“met any of them?  no. There are no relationships with mom.”

 

“none?”

 

“The only woman mom ever brought around me is Mary.”  He glanced over at Emma, “And now you.”

 

“Oh…”  Emma sat back in the couch and played.  “Do you think I could?”

 

“Why?”  He answered.

 

“Because… think about it.  We could be this perfect family.   We both get to be your mom.”

 

“You both get to be my mom now, I don’t see how being in a relationship will change that unless you’re in love with her.”

 

“So…  don’t date your mom?”

 

“My mom is in love with you Emma.  Think about that.”  Henry said and passed the finish line he handed Emma the remote to the Wii and didn’t really say goodbye, just kind of went off to his room.

 


	15. Thought Out

Emma looked around Regina’s living room where her son lived.  She turned off the TV and console and silently left the house. She walked down toward the diner.  she had to think, she needed coffee. As she walked, she recognized David’s car and realized this was the house she was supposed to have grown up in.

 

This was where her parents lived.  She walked toward the house and knocked quietly just in case Neil and the baby were asleep.  Her mother opened the door almost immediately. “Emma?  hey?”

 

“Did I wake him?”  I asked signalling to her crying brother.

 

“No, he just fights sleep so much.”  Mary said.  “Hey, come in…”

 

It was then that Emma realized that she had not wanted to cross the threshold.   It meant that she was willing to accept these people as her family including the woman in front of her.  She looked at the door frame and then back to the woman.  “If you were older, like 18 when I came, would you have kept me?”

 

“Yes… Especially knowing what I know now.”

 

Emma took a step into the house, and  Mary smiled.  Emma smiled back and took the crying baby from her mother.  she pulled him in close and held him firmly against her chest, his ear pressed against her heart.  Then she looked at her mother.  “I need to talk to you about something.”

 

The moment his sister talked the boy stopped crying.  his mother looked at her children in astonishment  “How…”

 

“A lot of my time during my recovery from childbirth, I spent volunteering in the nursery at the hospital.  I held babies because I didn’t have one to hold.”  Emma said.

 

Mary nodded in understanding.  She folded her arms over her chest thinking about how she had felt after Emma. “So, what do you need to tell me about?”

 

“Does Regina date a lot?”

 

Mary sighed.  “Regina has lots of sex.”

 

“That is what Henry said.”

 

“Regina has had so many flings and she has her favorites.  I have met a few.  But she hasn’t loved anyone since before she married my dad.  She used to talk about a boyfriend she had when she was like Fifteen.  That she loved him a lot.  That was before when I had mentioned David.  Before he and I… you know… you”

 

“So she answers all of your questions?”  Mary Nodded, “She is in love with me?”

 

“Yes.  And she is scared shitless Emma.”  Emma was beginning to get there too.  She wanted Regina, yes… but she didn’t know that she wouldn’t hurt her.

 

“Okay,”  Emma says and looks down at her sleeping brother.  “Put his ear to your heart and press, then sing to him, he seems to like to hear voices so don’t keep it too quiet in here or he will feel lonely.  You work in a classroom so he heard lots of noise in the womb while sleeping.”

 

Mary smiled at her daughter and took the little boy back.  “You are a great mom.”

 

“I’m no one’s mom… “  Emma said.

 

“No… but you are a Ma… and an Emmy.”  Mary retorted.

 

Emma smiled and shook her head slightly.  “I gotta go think, mom, but I’ll be back.  I promise.”

 

Mary looked at her confused not quite understanding what she meant. but Emma didn’t offer an explanation.  She also realized Emma had called her mom for the first time.  She watched her daughter jog back toward the mansion.  She watched until Emma had disappeared from view.

 

* * *

 

“What do you mean she didn’t show up for call time?”  Regina said as she dressed for the morning.  “She was just here last night.”

 

“Well we’ll search the hospitals or the police departments.”  The producer of the show she had been shooting said.  “hopefully she is okay. we don’t want any trouble from her, we’ve heard stories.”

 

“She’s fine… I’ll find her.”

 

she hung up the phone and freaked.  she called the property manager for her house in Maine and asked if Emma had decided to use her house there.  She hadn’t, and  Now she was panicking.

 

“What’s wrong?”  Mary asked walking into the house and seeing Regina’s frantic pacing.  “Henry! Come on it’s time to go.”

 

“Your daughter is missing.”

 

“She’s what?”  Mary said confused.

 

“She is missing, her producer called asking for her saying she had missed call time.  She hasn’t answered her phone.  she’s not in Maine….”

 

“Oh!”  Then Mary realized what Emma had been telling her.  “Regina… she said she had some thinking to do and she would be back.”

 

“What?”  Regina stopped pacing.  “Where did she go?”

 

“I don’t know.”  Mary said.

 

“How far does she have to go to think?”

 

* * *

 

“Welcome to the islands of Turks and Caicos…”  Emma ignored the rest of the message.  She came here a lot.   She needed to isolate herself and really think about what she was going to do about her feelings for Regina.  Her phone chimed with notifications as soon as she stepped off the airplane.

 

It didn’t matter.  She needed the space. so she buried her phone at the bottom of her bag. and forgot it there.

* * *

 

 

Emma emerged from the plane three days later.  She lowered her ball cap and covered her face with her sunglasses.  The top of her hoodie covered her chin and she wore no makeup.  this trip had been a little hectic.  Everytime she stepped out of her room,  More people recognized her again.  as she stepped out of the gate she saw some teenaged girls crying.  “She was young mommy.”

 

“Ugh...she is only missing.”  Her mother answered in frustration.

 

“It says right there that she may have died.”

 

Emma sighed and kept walking and grabbed a taxi straight to the valley.  When she got to Regina’s mansion there were lots of cars and people everywhere.  “The hell?”  Emma said looking around the sleepy little town awake with activity centered in just this house.

 

She stepped inside and saw her mother at Regina’s study talking through the door.  “Regina what do you want me to say to them?  I don’t know how to speak to the press.”

 

Emma walked up to her taking off her glasses and hat finally.  “What’s going on?”

 

“Emma!”  Her mother said her eyes lit up.  then she was angry and slapped her arm.

 

“Ow...what?” the younger woman said.  the door to Regina’s study opened and Emma’s eyes lit up, but her smile never emerged because now she realized that she hadn’t said anything to anyone about where she had been. The first thing Regina did   was pull Emma close.  She held her tightly.

 

“Never do that to me again.”  She said.

 

“I.. what’s wrong?”  Emma asked her mother.

 

“Everyone thought you were dead.”  Mary answered.

 

“I told you I would be back.”  Emma said.

 

“Yes, that is something you say when you are coming back  that same day.  You didn’t come back for three days Emma.”  Her mother said angrily,  and now she understood why she got slapped. And why the woman she had come to see was holding on to her so tightly she was about to suffocate.

 

“Regina, can we talk in your study?”  Emma asked,

 

“Wait what do I do with all these people?”  Mary asked.

 

Emma sighed and let go of Regina  a moment.  She walked up to someone that had been close by. not really paying attention to her.  “Hey…”  He looked up.  “Who are you looking for?”

 

“Shit… Hey!  Call the whole thing off man, She just walked in here like nothing.”  The man said walking toward the rest of the people.

 

Emma turned back to her mother.  “Done.”

 

Regina had already walked back into her office and collapsed on to her chair in relief.  Emma closed the door behind her and sat in front of her.  “They picked up your Pilot, thirteen episodes… you mist your first call time. while you were gone.”  Regina said trying to recover.

 

“I think that I am ready to be what you need me to be.”  Emma said ignoring the work talk.  That was not what she had come there to say and she was going to get this out.

 

“What do you think I need you to be Emma?”  Regina sneered, clearly angry now.

 

“Your, lover… your, friend… your partner?”  Emma said.   “Just yours.”

 

Regina looked up at  Emma incredulously.  “I don’t understand.”

 

“Oh for crying out loud Regina.  I know you love me, but  I can’t say I am in love with you.  I can say however, that  I. Want. To. be. with. you.”

 

“Then why did you leave?”  Regina asked confused.

 

“I needed to think.  I needed to see if what I was feeling was because I felt it, or because your children told me that you loved me.”

 

“They what?”

 

“Yes, first our son.  Then my mother.”  Emma confirmed. “They told me you don’t lie to them, so I took it on their word.  was I right to do that?”

 

“And now,  I want to die.” Regina said covering her face with embarrassment.

 

“Regina,  You must have known I’d want you.  I mean ever since I found out who you were I have been interested.  Lily… raves about you.  You are stopping that right?”

 

Regina laughed. “I stopped long ago… I can’t.”

 

“Look I’m sorry for leaving like that.”

 

“You can’t do that Emma.”

 

“I’m not used to having to answer to anyone.  I usually didn't want Cora to find me,  and she always managed to do it.  I never had to check in, and no one ever cared about where I went.”

 

“We have a son, Emma.”

 

“I know,  I’m sorry.  I am not good with feelings, and people.  I needed to disappear where even you couldn’t find me.”

 

“Well, you succeeded.”  Regina said signaling out of the door.

 

“I have never known anyone who would send out a search party for me,  That you love me like that, is incredible.  So, what do you say?  Will you go out with me?”

 

“Just for the record, even though my answer is yes, I’m  still mad at you.”  Regina said pouting.  Emma smiles brightly  then walks around the desk and kisses Regina.

 

The door to the office opened.  “Ma!”

 

“Emmy!”

 

Emma separated from Regina and the two women look at the boys.  The boys wrap themselves around the blond.  Emma looked back to the door seeing her father standing there a big look of relief in his features.  Emma let the boys go and went to him.  He held her close cradling her head.  “Never leave like that again.  “

 

“I’m sorry. I’ll do better.”


	16. Eating Out

Regina had been dating Emma a few weeks now.  She stood in front of the mirror getting ready and looked at herself.  She was forty five years old.  Twenty years older than her girlfriend.  She had avoided getting intimate with her.  Sure, she wanted to, she has gone more than six months without sex .  But she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to keep up. with her.  Try as Emma might, all they have been able to do was kiss… awkwardly lacking all of the passion of the kiss they shared before they were even a couple.

 

There was a knock at the doorframe of her bathroom.  Regina looked over and smiled at Emma.  “Wow…”  Emma said taking in the very feminine tuxedo Regina was sporting.

 

“Thank you.”  Regina said.  Then looked Emma over  with her  short dress. Her long legs  and shoes in heels that made slightly taller than her even though she herself was wearing a very nice pair of Loubuitons.  “You look … “  she took a breath, because she could just as easily give in  right now and let Emma have her way.  They were already in her room. “tempting.”

 

Emma laughed  “I appreciate your honesty. So I won’t take advantage of that..  I’ll leave, I just had to see you. I needed to.”

 

Regina smiled and followed Emma out of the bathroom glancing briefly at the bed.  “So where are you taking me?”  

 

“Drai’s in West Hollywood.”   Emma said taking Regina’s hand.  “Where’s the Kid?”

 

“With your mother.”  Regina answered

 

“Cool.”  Emma said and they both got into a town car waiting at the door.

 

“Isn’t this a little opulent?” Regina asked as she sat in the back seat.

 

“I want to drink, and I want you to relax.. this is the best thing.”  Emma said and sat back next to Regina.  After a few minutes of silence Emma turned to Regina.  “Why can’t we move on,  You don’t love me anymore?”

 

“It isn’t that…”

 

“We are forcing this, but it isn’t that I don’t want to be with you.”  Emma said.

 

“I am afraid.”  Regina admits.  “I haven’t done anything like this in a very long time. Like I haven’t been in love like this since I was fifteen.  I have spent more years being out of love than in love and this really is scary.”

 

“I’m scared too Regina… I have family now, and if This doesn’t work… My family you, Henry… Mom and dad, it becomes fractured.  But I like you a lot, and I need us to move on.

 

“I will try.  Once they got to the club, Regina and Emma stepped out to the flash of cameras.  They weren’t hand in hand, but  still rumors were beginning to circulate about the two of them.  It was part of the distance they had, Emma realized, so she took Regina’s hand.

 

Regina looked at her.  “I don’t care.”

 

Regina smiled brilliantly at her.  And that was the moment she allowed herself to trust Emma with her heart.

 

They got on the dance floor that night.  It was packed.  Regina pulled Emma close as the lights got down low.  She kept up with Emma.  She followed her moves and then she let loose.  Spectrum came on the speakers and Emma began to jump to the house music.  “Say My name….”  the singer said over the speakers .

 

Regina turned Emma’s head down toward her, then kissed her stopping the younger woman from jumping around.  It stopped her from anything except returning the kiss.  Regina began to move to the mellower tones of the song. 

 

Regina’s fingers found themselves under Emma’s short short dress.   Emma’s breath hitched  and she threw her head back. “I want you to say my name.”  Regina whispered.

 

_ The first time she had been with a woman had been so much more different. She was sitting behind the desk and a woman walked in with a cute little girl.  “Excuse me, I am not taking any new clients.”   _

 

_ “Well change your mind. my daughter has got talent.”  the woman pushed a little girl of two in front of Regina.  Regina looked at the girl, then up at the woman. _

 

_ “She isn’t doing anything.”  Regina said. _

 

_ “She’s pretty.” _

 

_ Regina nodded.” Yes she is.” _

 

_ “Crap, I thought this place had a man running it.” _

 

_ Regina arched her eyebrows.  “What do you think my late husband would have done differently than what I am doing now?” _

 

_ “You’re his wife!”  the woman said.  having the decency of looking a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry for your loss.” _

 

_ “You were planning on sleeping with him?”  Regina said folding her arms over her chest. _

 

_ “Well…” _

 

_ “He didn’t sleep around, that’s why my mom married me off to him. Or else she would have done just what you are offering to do right now.”  Regina said.  “Problem was, I wasn’t very interested in boys anymore…” _

 

_ The woman perked up.  “Are you saying you will look at what I’m offering?” _

 

_ “That depends on what it is that you want from me?” _

 

_ “I want it all.” _

 

_ Regina looked at the little girl then back at her mother.  “Come back with out her Miss…” _

 

_ “Maleficent.  But you can call me Mal.” _

 

_ “Whatever, come back without her, and we will see where the discussion goes.  Get out of my office.” _

 

Emma moaned as Regina’s fingers hit their mark.  All she could do was hang onto Regina’s shoulders so she wouldn’t fall.

 

The older woman swayed as she worked her magic.  She was back.  She knew she could get back to herself. “Ah, fuck…”  Emma squeaked in her ear. “wearing this dress was the best decision I made tonight.”  

 

Regina chuckled feeling Emma clench around her fingers.  Then an even slower song came on.  She swayed with her again and wrapped her arms around Emma now.  “I love you… “  She said to the actress.

 

Emma kissed her.  “I love you too.”

 

Regina smiles brilliantly and pulls Emma back into the kiss.  There is a flash in their background. but neither of them see, nor do they care.

 

Regina pulls away from Emma, and places her two fingers in her mouth.  “let's get out of here.”

 

Emma nodded and took Regina’s hand.

 

They kissed on the car ride to Emma’s house in Sherman oaks. They kissed their way into her house they undressed making their way into the room.  Emma straddles Regina and looks down at her.  “I’m sorry your first time with a woman was on a dance floor.”

 

Emma chuckled.  “What?  I had girl flings all the time,  Cora just kept them under wraps.”

 

“Really?”  Regina asked.

 

“Want me to prove it?”  Emma asked.

 

“Okay.”

 

With a chuckle, Emma set to work.


	17. Working it out (Epilogue)

After being together for four months like this, Emma practically lived in the house with them.  They lay in bed one night snuggling.  There was a knock on the door.  “Moms, are you decent?”

 

They looked at each other and pulled sheets in the right places to cover themselves as Regina said. “Come in Henry.”

 

“Am I still going home with you this weekend Emma?”

 

Emma nodded.  “Well yeah… Since… yeah.”

 

“You know this would all be easier if you just moved in here with us.”

 

Emma nodded. “Yes, but… I like my house.  A lot.”     
  


Regina frowned.  Emma loves her, she says so, but she seemed not committed to her, not the way she is willing to do it for her.

 

“Okay… um. I’m gonna let you two discuss this on your own.”  Henry said sensing his mothers needed a little privacy to discuss this.

 

“Babe, I love you.” Emma said  sliding over and straddling her lap. She reaches under the pillow and pulls out a little velvet box but doesn’t let  Regina see it at first.  “and I have something to confess to you.  I sold my house two weeks ago. and I have no place to live.  That’s why I have been here for the past two weeks. Here…”  Regina looks at Emma’s hand and saw the box.

 

“What’s this?”  She asked. as she opened the box.

 

“Will you marry me?” Emma asked.

 

Regina laughed out loud.  “Oh my god!”

 

“What?”  Emma asked.

 

“I never imagined that I’d get proposed to naked. Its awesome.”

 

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes!  Yes I’ll marry you!”

 

 Emma smiled and  kissed her deeply.  For Emma, her attempted murder had been the best thing that had happened to her that year.  It brought her here.  It brought her her freedom from Cora and a pathway straight to her Family.

 

End.


End file.
